Blu-ray Review "The Man with the Iron Fists"

Actors: RZA, Russell Crowe, Rick Yune, Cung Le, Lucy Liu, Byron Mann, Jamie Chung
Directors: RZA
Rated: R / Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Running Time: 96 minutes (Theatrical) / 108 minutes (Unrated)

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

“The Man with the Iron Fists” is a real labor of love for the rapper RZA, he not only directs but also co-wrote and stars in this wannabe-grindhouse kung-fu film. Let’s say he might have taken a bit more than he can chew. The plot is a mess and all over the place. The film is co-written and produced by genre favorite Eli Roth and is presented by Quentin Tarantino but they don’t really lend anything to the film. I think the reason why I am so upset is that this film didn’t live up to what it could have been. The only thing that made this film barely watchable is the occasional and rare action and the gore. This definitely not for everyone but the hardcore genre fans.

I had a real problem with the constant narrative by RZA. You can tell that he is really trying to fill in the major plot holes with useless dialogue. The fighting scenes are great and are well choreographed. The blend of CG effects work sometimes and then look crazy fake the rest. Props needs to go to my buddy Greg Nicotero and his partner Howard Berger for delivering some really sweet gore, which like I said is one off the saving graces for this film. This Blu-ray contains a theatrical and an unrated cuts of the film. The theatrical runs 95-minutes long, while the unrated cut runs an extended 107-minutes. The 12 minutes are made up of additional plot and gore, which for the most part adds enough to the film to check it out again.

RZA…I am sorry but the guy is not an actor. He may be a great rapper but the dude can’t carry this film and drags in down. He plays it way too serious and almost laughable. Russell Crowe continues his travels to becoming my favorite actor after his fantastic role in “Les Misérables”.  I mean the guy literally guts a man’s stomach and screams “My name is Mr. Knife.  You can call me Jack”. This guy is the shit, hands down and he is a freak in this film. Byron Mann also kick-ass as the film’s main baddie. Keep an eye out for cameos from Pam Grier and Kung-fu legend Gordon Liu

Universal delivers in terms of the release here, yet again.  It comes in a two-disc combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet.  The DVD actually comes with both the theatrical and unrated cuts, usually that is not the case.  Universal also did the same with this year’s “Death Race 3: Inferno”.  The 1080p transfer on the Blu-ray is stunning and looks fantastic but with a supposed grindhouse film, should it really look this polished? The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track also works well with the action and RZA’s score. You can literally hear the bones breaking and the body parts flying. In terms of the audio/visual, this release is fantastic.  That again goes to Universal who has yet to disappoint recently with their stunning releases.

Back to the negative side again of this film, the special features are not spectacular. There are about 20 minutes deleted and extended scenes.  Some of decent but the rest is just filler.  There is a super short featurette called “A Look Inside”, which has RZA talking about the film. It was actually quite interesting and then the two minutes were up and it left you wanting more.  Next up we have “On the Set with RZA”, which is also very short and consist of five one-minute promos on the story, the cast and the special effects. Lastly “A Path to the East” is another two-minute behind-the-scenes with RZA. I was left wanting a lot more…and where is the animated short prequel that was made to promote the film?

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Theater Review "Hair" Kauffman Center For the Performing Arts – Kansas City, Missouri

Hair
Kauffman Center For the Performing Arts, Kansas City, Missouri
February 5, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Welcome to the 1960’s, the decade of free love, flower power, psychedelics, the Vietnam War, and long flowing hair! Even though it was written in 1967 and debuted on Broadway in 1968 the story and underlying symbolism of the musical “Hair” holds true even in this decade and for my own generation.

“Hair” is an ensemble/audience interaction event and an experience all in its own. Credited with being the first “Rock Opera,” “Hair” is the story of a group of young adults who are living the life of freedom, drugs, love and no responsibilities or, as they were better known at that time, hippies. Their only job is to live their life and protest the ideas of the conformist government and their conservative parents. Their retaliations range from protesting and draft card burning to something as simple as growing their hair long… the longer the better.

The main characters of the story are two young men: Claude (Noah Plomgren) and Berger (Brian Crawford Scott). They both find themselves attracted to young socialite Sheila (Mary Kate Morrissey). The struggles in conflict arises when Claude is drafted by the U.S. Army to serve his country in Vietnam. He struggles with the life he has led vs the life and path ahead of him.

The cast in this production of “Hair” was downright amazing, with every cast member in stunning form vocally. Unlike some touring productions, this cast is much more than just decent actors with good voices, Plomgren and Scott also show a fantastic gift for comedic timing as well as captivating emotion. Sheila and Woof (Jason Moody) were the two performers who really stood out to me. While many of the songs in the show are so familiar as to encourage the audience to sing along, when those two sang the audience sat silently and took their voices in.

What I enjoyed more than anything else at this performance was watching the audience. You could see the majority of the crowd were the same age as the cast during the”age of Aquarius” Being 28 I really got a kick watching the sixty-somethings with their gray hair and tied ties, now seemingly professional and clean cut, as they filled the auditorium. You could see them having literal flashbacks as the show progressed. A good laugh here at free love, a snicker there at a reference to “getting stoned” and even a whispered conversation between husband and wife during the song “Hashish” (the only lyrics being the various drugs popular in the 1960s) ending with an audible laugh. By the end of the show the audience was captivated by the story, the music and the cast. The show ends with a grand performance of “Let the Sun Shine In” with the cast inviting the audience to join in the fun and dance with them on stage.

The audience consisted of people of all ages, proving that after all these years “Hair” has stayed relevant from generation to generation…passed on from parents to their children (although as a child I never believed my parents were as cool as they said they were). This show offers an opportunity for any parent or grandparent whose kids always doubted their cool stories to introduce them to the life and times that now can only being read about in history books.

This show definitely earned 5 out 5 stars in my opinion, especially taking in the whole experience of the cast, the music, the performances, the venue and the people I shared this show with. It is an experience that I won’t forget and I’m sure in 40 more years the story of “Hair” and its ideals will still hold strong. “Hair” continues in Kansas City through Sunday, February 10. Below is a list of cities the show will visit soon.

For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.hairontour.com

February 19 – Opelika, Alabama
February 20 – Montgomery, Alabama
February 24 – Columbia, Missouri
February 26-27 – Kalamazoo, Michigan
February 28 – Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
March 1 – Toledo, Ohio
March 2-3 – Detroit, Michigan

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Film Review "Identity Thief"

Starring: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy and John Cho
Directed by: Seth Gordon
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 52 mins
Universal

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I can only imagine what it was like to go to a movie during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Long before television, home video and the internet you could go, uninformed, to see a movie and every now and then leave the theatre realizing you had just witnessed the birth of a star. I felt that way after seeing the movie “Bridesmaids.” In a supporting role Melissa McCarthy totally blew me away. Of course, it wasn’t just me she impressed since she earned an Oscar nomination for her performance – a very rare feat for a true comic performance. Though I don’t see another nomination coming here, McCarthy continues to shine in the new film “Identity Thief.”

Sandy Patterson (Bateman) is a mild mannered Colorado-based account executive who has had to suffer with a first name that makes strangers think he’s a woman (his father actually named him after baseball great Sandy Koufax). One morning the phone rings with terrible news. Sandy is informed that someone has tried to use one of his credit cards. The woman on the phone also tells him that if he can provide some information that she can stop the fraud from happening. Sandy shares his info, not knowing that the voice on the other end of the line belongs to Diana (McCarthy) a scam artist living in Florida. Soon Diana, as Sandy, is buying jet skis, a car and rounds of drinks for her friends. She also gets into a bar fight. When she doesn’t show up for court a warrant is issued for Sandy’s arrest. Understanding he’s in a tight situation from which the police can offer no help, Sandy decides to travel to the Sunshine State to confront his new self.

Packed with some great physical comedy by both stars, “Identity Thief” does a fine job of making a complete film out of a one-joke plot line. This is due to the chemestry between Bateman and McCarthy. Bateman, who was once “Teen Wolf” (or Teen Wolf 2 to be exact) has carved out a solid new career as the everyman that many in the audience can relate to. He has some great moments, especially at home with his wife (Amanda Peete) and daughters. Just as his life was getting good (new job, major raise) it begins to fall apart. His credit score is below 240, which isn’t a good thing to have when you work with other people’s money! While his idea to retrieve Diana may seem far fetched, it makes sense to a simple guy like Sandy.

McCarthy makes Diana believable as well. Even when she’s conspiring to get away from Sandy or complaining to anyone that will listen about her Fiber Myalga you feel a wee bit of sympathy for her situation. Of course the two leads have some great supporting characters to lend them a hand, including “Modern Family’s” Eric Stonestreet and “Terminator 2” bad guy Robert Patrick. When they show up on screen, in seperate moments, they breathe like into the film just as it appears it will stall. Some of the bits are included because they seem funny though aren’t really needed and add an extra 20 minutes or so to the film that it really doesn’t need.

That being said, I recommend you see “Identity Thief,” even if it’s just so you can witness the continued rise of a shooting star.

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Film Review "Side Effects"

Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara and Catherine Zeta-Jones
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 46 mins
Open Road

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

An empty room. On the floor, a set of bloody footprints. Fade to black.

Martin (Channing Tatum) has just been released from prison where he did time for insider trading. His wife, Emily (Mara), appears to be happy that he’s home though the combination of a husband in prison and an uprooted life has given her an anxiety condition that is out of control. After a car accident Emily meets Dr. Banks (Law), a psychiatrist who feels the accident was anything but. He offers to help Emily, unaware that soon he will be the one needing help.

An old fashioned thriller in every sense of the word, “Side Effects” gives you just enough clues to stay in the game but never reveals enough to get you to drop your guard. The clever script, by Scott Burns, is full of twists and turns that take you from one character to the next, silently scratching your head and wondering who do you believe?

The storyline is helped by a cast just as serious as the material. In his best work since “Cold Mountain,” Jude Law is brilliant. He gives Dr. Banks a heart that one normally doesn’t see in the typical Hollywood shrink. With a wife (Vinessa Shaw) and step-son at home he strives to do what he can for both his family and his patients. Mara continues the great promise she showed in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Emily is sometimes happy, sometimes sad and, sometimes, both at the same time, which is very hard to portray believably on screen. You want to root for her but you take a step back, unsure if you should. Zeta-Jones is well cast as a former doctor of Emily’s while Channing Tatum continues the run of fine performances that started last year.

For a director supposedly mulling retirement, Steven Soderbergh has kept busy. This is his fifth feature film since 2011 and, after roles in the recent “Haywire” and “Magic Mike,” Side Effects” completes a Channing Tatum trilogy! Busy or not, Soderbergh is still at the top of his game, crafting a film that gives you clues that may or not tell all that you need to know.

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DVD Review "Small Apartments"

Actors: Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, Juno Temple, James Marsden, Peter Stormare, Amanda Plummer, Dolph Lundgren, Rosie Perez, Rebel Wilson, James Caan and Johnny Knoxville
Directors: Jonas Åkerlund
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 19, 2013
Run Time: 96 minutes

Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

If you are familiar with award-winning film and music video director Jonas Åkerlund known best for films like “Spun” and
Lady Gaga’’s “Paparazzi”” music video. “Small Apartments” is a real trip to say the least. Having known Jonas’ work, I had an idea what to expect but still didn’t see this film coming. When I say Matt Lucas was starring, I expected laugh out loud comedy. What we got here is more of a black comedy murder cover-up. It has its funny moments but the best part has to be this film’s collection of talent who pop in and out. Not sure if I could watch this again but one viewing was manageable.

Matt Lucas is the star of this film but it also packs some fun appearances from actors Billy Crystal (“When Harry Met Sally”), Juno Temple (“The Dark Knight Rises”), James Marsden (“X-Men: The Last Stand”), Peter Stormare (“Fargo”), Amanda Plummer (“Pulp Fiction”), Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables”), Rosie Perez (“White Men Can’t Jump”), Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect”), DJ Qualls (The New Guy”), James Caan (“The Godfather”) and Johnny Knoxville (“Jackass: The Movie”). This is a zany cast for a zany film for sure.

Official Synopsis: Trapped in a seedy LA apartment, Franklin Franklin (Matt Lucas) has a dead landlord on the kitchen floor and is surrounded by eccentric neighbors: the stoner (Johnny Knoxville) and girlfriend (Rebel Wilson), the wanna-be stripper (Juno Temple) and the artist (James Caan). To add to his chaos, a drunk investigator (Billy Crystal) is questioning him about his landlord. But none of this fazes Franklin. He dreams of Switzerland, and waits each day for an envelope from his institutionalized brother (James Marsden). Then, one day the envelope doesn’t come and Franklin becomes unhinged. Little does he know…his crazy brother has the secret that will set him free.

When it comes to special features there is nothing really going on here besides two pretty useless featurettes.  The first featurette is  “How to Build A Gravity Bong” with Johnny Knoxville.  He gives instructions on how to craft the ideal smoking device…real charming. The other feature is a short behind-the-scenes look into the production. Even though I wasn’t completely in love with this film, I would have loved to have a commentary track with the director and maybe a few of the cast members.

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DVD Review "40 West"

Actors: Jennifer Nichole Porter, Scott Winters, Brian A. White, Kathleen Kimball, Wayne Newton
Directors: Dana Packard
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Honey Tree Films
DVD Release Date: October 16, 2012
Run Time: 120 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

I have to admit that I had never heard of “40 West” before it showed up at my door. I am glad that I checked this out (for the most part) since it is a well-written low-budget indie with a nice punch ending. This plays out like a slow-burn character drama/thriller, though maybe a little too slow. Running two hours, this could have been easily trimmed by 30 minutes and been much more effective. Jennifer Nichole Porter is not just the star of this film, she is also the writer and composer as well. Being a fan of music, I really enjoyed the music in the film for sure. Speaking of music, who doesn’t love Wayne Newton? His role in this film is very clever and well-executed.

“40 West” focuses on Maeve (Jennifer Nichole Porter), a blues singer, that ends up with her car breaking down and purse stolen, when she is about to take a trip. She is helped out by a stranger Elijah (Scott Winters), who looks helpful but then ends up setting her up with ex-con husband Colin (Brian A. White), who handcuffs her in a hotel room and plays catch up after being in prison for five years. The events get more complicated when Colin’s girl from the pen, Arlene (Kathleen Kimball), shows up and on top of that Arlene’s husband Bud (Wayne Newton) makes his appearance as well.

The film’s website boasts winning 17 international awards, which is very impressive for an independent film. Though I am a little confused since The New Maine Times is quoted on the box calling this “A Gripping Thriller”, while it won Best Comedy at the Mountain Film Awards. I guess the pickings were a little light for that festival, the film has a certain dark comedy aspect but really lands more in the drama/thriller genre. Nonetheless, the film does deserve any recognition it gets. So kudos to them, hopefully more to come! You can get this film from iTunes, Amazon.com, Walmart.com and of course the film’s website.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Concert Review: The Machine, Ridgefield Playhouse – Ridgefield, CT

The Machine
Ridgefield Playhouse
Ridgefield, CT
January 25, 2013

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Above all other bands, Pink Floyd live concerts were a feast for the eyes and ears – a true spectacle combining finely-crafted progressive music and a grand scale high-tech theatrics. At their best, they blended these elements perfectly and their shows were in a league of their own both aurally and visually. With this in mind, any band that exclusively covers Pink Floyd faces a massively daunting task in trying to recreate what going into the “Floyd void” was like. It’s a Davis versus Goliath situation that requires one hell of a slingshot.

Out of the trifecta that currently dominates the Faux Floyd scene – The Machine, The Australian Pink Floyd show, and Brit Floyd – the New York City-based Machine has been tackling this task for the past 25 years making them the band that’s been in the game for the longest span of time. And for good reason: on a musical level, they’ve really mastered the Floyd back catalog with a degree of virtuosity and meticulousness that borders on the realm of the uncanny.

This phenomenon was clearly on display at the Ridgefield playhouse who were treated to a broad-ranging set list that not only included many of the well-known song staples from mega-selling LPs “Wish You Were Here”, “The Wall” and “Dark Side of the Moon” but also from almost every other Pink Floyd album – including ones from the David Gilmour-led “Momentary Lapse of Reason” and “Division Bell” albums. To the delight of the assembled masses, the band delved into the epic “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” from 1977’s oft-desired but seldom heard in live performance “Animals” album – songs from which the Floyd themselves last performed during the 1978 tour supporting that album. Even the title track from the last studio album to feature Roger Waters, “the final cut” as well as the first song of their encore set, “Careful With That Axe, Eugene”, were there to please the fanatics who hungered for the deepest of deep tracks.

As a band, The Machine rarely takes any liberties with the songs; they’re pretty much note-for-note renditions of the classics that the Floyd committed to vinyl for over 30 years. When they do break the mold, however, the results are mixed. In general, the excursions work best when they involve softer more hushed tones, such as shifting into acoustic mode mid-way through 1994’s “Coming Back to Life” or adding a spacey outro jam to “Money”. Things don’t fare as well when the band cranks their amps past 11, as was evidenced during “Echoes” in a spacey Grateful Dead-style jam that disintegrated into a cacophony of swirling keyboard looping. It was an ear sore – one compounded by its bisecting a track that is one of Pink Floyd’s most defining and sacred songs.

On a visual level, however, the show lacked the true spectacle of latter era Floyd mega-shows. Sure, the iconic circular movie screen was there for all to see but, like the rollercoaster that’s shut down undergoing repairs the day you’re at the amusement park hoping for the thrills that it can usually provide, it remained dormant throughout the vast majority of the show. And while the fog machines were clearly working overtime, there were no lasers to be found – only a bank of Vari-lites that frequently maneuvered themselves to point directly at the crowd. This had the effect of making the band difficult to see due to the need to squint and occasionally turn away completely.

Overall, The Machine’s show was a worthwhile one – but could indeed use a fair degree of fine-tuning to truly provide an approximation of what the total Pink Floyd experience was all about.

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Blu-ray Review "A Late Quartet"

Actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, Wallace Shawn, Anne Sofie von Otter
Directors: Yaron Zilberman
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Run Time: 105 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

When I saw the cast for this film I was immediately drawn.  I mean you’ve got both Academy Award Winners Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who are absolutely brilliant in this film.  They have also had very strong years with “Seven Psychopaths” and “The Master”, respectively.  Also Academy Award Nominee Catherine Keener takes the stage with force. The film is very powerful and packs an intense passion of music.  I am a sucker for anything when it comes to music.  Something about it really speaks to me…maybe it is my yearning to be a musician myself.  Well if you are looking for a great piece that you probably missed in it brief theatrical release, I would recommend giving this a watch for sure.

Official Premise: After 25 years together, the members of a world-renowned string quartet learn that their beloved cellist (Walken) may soon be forced to retire. But the news stirs up equally painful challenges when competing egos, harbored resentment, and irrepressible lust threaten to derail the group as they struggle to maintain harmony in their music – and their lives.

20th Century Fox has delivered a nice Blu-ray presentation on this release.  It is just a sngle disc Blu-ray no DVD combo.  The 1080p looks very crisp and sharp, within its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1.  Since the film is about music, I was really hoping for a smashing audio track and it was delivered here with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.  Works well with both the dialogue heavy scenes and the music as well.  The special features is where this release fails. There is only one short featurette called “Discord and Harmony”.  I would have loved to seen a commentary track with the director and this wonderful cast.

 

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3D Blu-ray Review "Silent Hill: Revelation 3D"

Actors: Adelaide Clemens, Kit Harington, Sean Bean, Carrie-Anne Moss, Malcolm McDowell
Directors: Michael J. Bassett
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Release Date: February 26, 2013
Run Time: 95 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

When I first saw “Silent Hill”, I wasn’t really blown away at first.  The film has grown on me since but still isn’t near perfect.  With the sequel I was really hoping that this was going to fix all the issues they had but with the first film but they leave way too many loose ends and focus too much on the back story. There are also flashbacks to the first film countless times, I would have like to seen them take the film it is own and new direction instead of holding onto the first film like a crutch.  The film is still entertaining though and visually beautiful (like the first).

If you have played the games then you know they are scary as shit.  This film (and the first) never really captured that fear aspect.  The creepiest part in the film was the nurses but nothing really scary here. Pyramid Head plays the role of the anti-hero more than a villain. When it comes to gore, there are some decent gory moments, but not very many.  Maybe I am desensitized but I was missing some major “What the F***!” moments here.

Let’s get to the aspect of the 3D.  I have to say I was very impressed with the 3D.  It feel like it was used well and almost sparingly.  It delivered some great in-your-face moments without going cheesy, while also providing some amazing depth to the town of Silent Hill.  I loved any shots with the falling ash since I felt like they really stood out well.  I might even go as far to say that the 3D was in fact the best part of this film.  Having also seen the film in 2D, it plays well but misses that depth that really binds it all together with the extra dimension.

In the video game world, “Silent Hill: Revelation” is a take on the game “Silent Hill 3”. Sean Bean returns from the first film, but really feels more like a cameo.  It is similar to the appearances from Radha Mitchell and Deborah Kara Unger, who also return from the first but only one scene in the whole film. Carrie-Anne Moss is almost unrecognizable playing Claudia Wolf, the head priestess of the order. Adelaide Clemens takes the lead in this and does a good job playing Sharon Da Silva / Heather Mason, but I couldn’t get over her resemblance to Michelle Williams.  Lastly there is another fun cameo from genre favorite Malcolm McDowell.

Official Premise: Return to a place of insanity and blood-curdling chills in this shocking sequel to one of the most surreal and gruesome horror films ever created. Heather Mason (Clemens) and her father (Bean) have always tried to stay one step ahead of the malevolent forces intent on their destruction. But on the eve of her 18th birthday, a dangerous revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her in a nightmarish landscape forever.

When it comes to the release itself though, Universal has all option covered here and delivers the goods. There is a Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + UV Digital Copy. I mean what else can you ask for? Everything format is covered and you have the option to what this film whenever/wherever you go. The 1080p transfer is very nice with the dark colored film and works well with the 3D presentation. The audio track is also solid here with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.  It definitely delivers the score well and adds a lot of eerie aspects to the film.

The special features or should I say lack there of is another knife for “Silent Hill: Revelation” though. There is only one VERY short behind-the-scenes featurette, running about three minutes. The good thing is that it is actually presented in 3D, which is rare for extras but it doesn’t last long enough to deliver anything worth actually watching. Where are the rest of the extras? I would have loved to seen a visual effects featurette and even a commentary track.

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Exhibit Review "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination" Orlando Science Center

Orlando Science Center
777 E. Princeton Street
Orlando, Florida 32803
Saturday, October 13, 2012 – Sunday, April 7, 2013

I first received a flyer for this exhibit while attending 2012’s Star Wars Celebration VI at the Orlando Convention Center. Being a life-long “Star Wars” fan, I was immediately interested.  Science mixed with fantasy? Where do I sign up.  This exhibit was developed by the Museum of Science in Boston along with the collaboration of Lucasfilm Ltd, which makes me more excited. “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” is not just a couple of props, it is a 10,000 square-foot exhibit that transports you into the world of “Star Wars”.

This wonderful exhibit not display costumes and props from all six Star Wars films but it blends them with current technologies. Besides just viewing the exhibit you can also go one step further and get the inside world with many kiosks setup throughout with extensive video interviews with the filmmakers and even scientists and engineers. Even being such a big fan myself, I actually learned a lot of things that I never knew because of this.  To be honest it is a bit overwhelming when you realize that you are literally standing right next to these props that really have been used on screen for these films.  Of course, who doesn’t want to see the real Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder, Yoda puppet and Han Solo costume, just to name a few of the amazing sites included.

One aspect, I would like to focus on with this exhibit is the presentation from the Orlando Science Center.  They really gave this exhibit a lot of respect and care.  When you walk into the doors, you are put into a room with black sheets hanging from the ceiling.  Then like the black sea, the curtain part like a theater and you are revealed to see the original and breath-taking Millennium Falcon.  It was very well presented and a great way to start this tour.  I also loved the complete atmosphere in the exhibit.  The lights were dim but the props where perfectly lit.  You are not allowed to use flash photography in the exhibit but you honestly do not even need it in order to get that perfect shot.  It is setup so well that each item on display is surrounded by a wonderful halo of light.

As much as I love “Star Wars”, I love the science behind. I mean who doesn’t spaceships and mechanical robots, just to start with? But like I said the exhibit doesn’t stop at displaying some amazing props from the “Star Wars” saga, it delivers much more.  There are a lot of “real-life” aspects with that gives its visitors some real hands-on action. There are two Engineering Design Labs, where you can actually build and and play with your own speeders and robots.  Does it get cooler than that? This is also not just for kids, there plenty of fun to have for us big kids as well! There is also a simulated ride where you can see what it is like to actually drive your own speeder, this was very cool!

The price of admission to the Orlando Science Center will run you a little steep $27 dollars per person, but it will also include entry into “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination”.  I have to say as much as I liked it, I feel like it is a little pricey especially for a large groups of families. If you are a hardcore fan though, you will leave this exhibit very satisfied and believing you still got your money’s worth for sure. So with all that being said…Orlando, you still have two months left to experience this great exhibit before it continues its museum tour.  It’s next stop will be at the Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, IN from Saturday, May 25th – Monday, September 2nd.  I would highly recommend catching this.

For more information on the exhibit, please visit: www.mos.org/star-wars.

All photos are courtesy of the Orlando Science Center:

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Filed Under: Commentary Tagged With: center, exhibit, imagination, meets, orlando, review, ...

Blu-ray Review "The Master"

Actors: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Price Carson
Directors: Paul Thomas Anderson
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: February 26, 2013
Run Time: 144 minutes

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

“The Master” is quite amazing…but is definitely not for everyone. This film deals with a lot of very deep underlying issues that don’t reveal themselves in one viewing. But that would mean you would really have to watch this film more than one. I do not think that I could do that. Is this film well-shot/well-acted etc? YES! But it is something that I would watch once and probably never speak of again. The film was shot for 70MM IMAX and I am sure that would have been an amazing way to see it but I did not have a chance. If you like Paul Thomas Anderson or looking for great performances, then I would recommend it but be warned it is not an easy dish to swallow.

Official Premise: A striking portrait of drifters and seekers in post-World War II America, Paul Thomas Anderson’s THE MASTER unfolds the journey of a naval veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) who arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future–until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Anchor Bay is releasing “The Master” as a Blu-ray Combo Pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy (not Ultraviolet though). The 1080p transfer is flawless as is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track. The special features include: “Back Beyond” which features outtakes and additional scenes edited to music by Johnny Greenwood.  Next up is “Unguided Message”, which is an 8 minute short, as well as a behind-the-scenes featurette looking into the production.  I was very interested in the fact that John Huston’s landmark documentary about WW-II veterans was included, called “Let Their Be Light (1946)”. Lastly there is teasers/trailers included.

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

Blu-ray Review “Cabaret: 40th Anniversary”

Starring: Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Marisa Berenson, Helmut Griem
Director: Bob Fosse
Rated: PG
Studio: Warner Brothers
Run Time: 124 minutes
Own it on Blu-Ray: February 5, 2013

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

Musical and film fans will be pleased to own Warner Brothers’ blu-ray release of Bob Fosse’s 1972 classic, Cabaret.

Official Synopsis: Flamboyant and eccentric American entertainer Sally Bowles (Minnelli) sings in Berlin’s decadent Kit Kat Club, even as Nazism rises in Germany in 1931. She falls in love with a British language teacher (York) – whom she shares with a homosexual German baron (Griem). But Sally’s insular, carefree, tolerant and fragile cabaret world is about to be crushed under the boot of the Nazis as Berlin becomes a trap from which Sally’s German friends will not escape.

Even forty years later and amidst modern movie musicals such as Les Mis and Chicago, Cabaret still maintains its edge. It’s perhaps because of Joel Grey’s disturbingly impish Master of Ceremonies that we never quite get to know while his Kit Kat Klub performances are all too aware of, if not concerned by, the dark times brewing outside. It was not for nothing that one of this film’s eight Oscar wins was for David Bretherton’s film editing, which among other structural coups features Grey doing a gleeful German slap dance as we watch a man beaten by Nazis.

Bridging the gap between the club and the outside world at the center of the film is Liza Minnelli’s brash American entertainer Sally Bowles. Bowles may seem at first to be the manic-pixie-dreamgirl to York’s straight-laced Brian Roberts but she’s much more than that. On top of the powerhouse performances Minnelli gives to such classics as “Maybe this Time” and “Mein Heir”, she is by turns hilarious and heartbreaking as Sally’s eccentricities expose a loneliness and desperation for attention that she may finally get from York’s charming Brian.

Some of the major themes explored in the film such as homosexuality and abortion, though far more taboo at the time of the film’s release, still hit home today. Cabaret sharpened the edge on movie musicals in a way you’d be challenged to find in the big bright musicals of the sixties. That impact is more thoroughly discussed on this set’s new featurette “Cabaret: The Musical That Changed Musicals” which features the film’s stars as well as additional commentators. Most notably director Rob Marshall, whose Chicago was the most direct benefactor from the structure set in place by Cabaret.

As for the Blu-Ray remastering, which apparently involved the manual removal of a thousand foot scratch on the film’s original print, the film looks stunning. The effects of the remastering, the first done to the film in over twenty years, are most evident when you compare the feature presentation to the clips of the film utilized in previously produced (1997) featurettes “Cabaret: A Legend in the Making” and “The Recreation of an Era” which are also included here. Additional features included many of the cast sharing fond memories from making the film and are welcome additions if perhaps not new to any die-hard fans out there.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 40th, anniversary, bluray, book, cabaret, dvd, ...

Blu-ray Review "A Star is Born"

Actors: Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey, Oliver Clark
Directors: Frank Pierson
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Run Time: 139 minutes

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

They just don’t make films like “A Star is Born” anymore.  The wonderful cast of Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, and Gary Busey.  Yes Gary Busey, before he got all messed up! This 1976 musical was awarded an Academy Award and five Golden Globes, back in the day. The main draw for this Blu-ray release is the fact that it comes with packaged with a super cool 40-page Digibook with live performance photos and rare behind-the-scenes photos and more.  If you are a fan of this movie and of musicals in general, I would highly recommend this release for sure. The film is still as touching as it was and very entertaining.  Time has been good to this film, as Warner has been good with this Blu-ray release.

Official Synopsis: The fire of Barbra Streisand. The magnetism of Kris Kristofferson. The reckless world of big-time rock ‘n’ roll. All three bring a new passion and timeliness to A Star Is Born one of the screen’s classic love stories (previously filmed in 1937 and 1954) and winner of five Golden Globe Awards including Best Picture Actress and Actor (Musical/Comedy).Paul Williams Kenny Loggins Leon Russell and others worked with Streisand on one of the most popular song scores ever topped by the Streisand/Williams Evergreen winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award as 1976’s Best Original Song.

Warner does not chimp on its Blu-ray releases. They always deliver the best possible video and audio for their catalog title Blu-ray releases. The 1080p transfer looks amazing for the near 40 year old film within its original aspect ratio: 1.85:1. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also perfectly works with the film. Especially for a film who’s soundtrack sold over four million copies in the US alone. “Evergreen” sounds amazing and is just such an amazing and emotional song. The special features include a nice audio commentary with star Barbra Streisand. There are a few additional deleted scenes and wardrobe tests included as well. Lastly there is a trailer gallery included. Overall not bad but nothing new to really draw ya in.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, born, review, star

Blu-ray Review "Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome"

Actors: Luke Pasqualino, Ben Cotton, Lili Bordan, Mike Dopud, John Pyper-Ferguson
Directors: Jonas Pate
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Run Time:  97 Minutes

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

When it comes to “Battlestar Galactica” you are eitehr a hardcore fan or nothing.  There is really no in-between here. This all-new chapter is a prequel to the 2004 “Battlestar Galactica” series. Since the failed attempt at the spin-off prequel with the short-lived “Caprica”, fans are now giving the chance to get more out of this franchise. Syfy is behind this and delivered this show in web-series format airing it over weeks on Machinima.com in a 10-part series. After the enormous success of “Mortal Kombat Legacy”, they were trying to grab that success. For a web series, this packs some killer visual effects and amazing CGI work. Did I mention the visual effects on this show are EPIC! Seriously? How did they do this on a web-series budget? They initially pitched this as a pilot of a new series but they decided against it, but at least we get this new two-hour movie. I am sure we have not seen the end of this franchise for sure. So if you enjoy “Battlestar”, are you going to dig “Blood & Chrome”…you bet your FRAKING ass! I WANT FRAKING MORE!!!

Official Premise: An all-new chapter in the Battlestar Galactica saga, Blood & Chrome takes place in the midst of the first Cylon war. As the battle between humans and their creation, the sentient robotic Cylons, rages across the 12 colonial worlds, a young, talented fighter pilot, William Adama (Luke Pasqualino, The Borgias), finds himself assigned to one of the most powerful battlestars in the Colonial fleet: the Galactica. Though Adama quickly finds himself at odds with his co-pilot, the battle-weary officer Coker (Ben Cotton, Alcatraz), the two men must set their differences aside when a routine escort mission with an enigmatic passenger (Lili Bordán, Silent Witness) turns dangerous and becomes a pivotal one for the desperate fleet.

So why would you want this Blu-ray release instead of just watching it on Machinima.com or Syfy? Well, that is simple it is for the never-before-seen Unrated Edition cut.  The unrated cut adds about 10 additional minutes to the show and is worth checking out for the new footage.  Universal is behind this release and they are delivering the goods with a sharp two-Disc combo Pack with Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet. The 1080p looks much better than it does online. Even though the show has a web-series scale, the quality and production scale is very high.  The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track is banging with the non-stop action and the ships will literally fly right past your head! The special features are usually a big draw for a web-series to Blu-ray but lacking a bit here. There are 13 deleted scenes included, seven which are exclusive to Blu-ray only.  Lastly there is “Blood & Chrome: Visual Effects”, which looks into how this series looks as good as it does.  I was hoping for a little more here in terms of featurettes but overall it is still worth the purchase.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: battlestar, blood, bluray, chrome, galactica, review, ...
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