DVD Review “The Raid 2”

Starring: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Julie Estelle, Ken’ichi Endô, Kazuki Kitamura
Director: Gareth Evans
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 8, 2014
Run Time: 150 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

“The Raid: Redemption” was easily one of the biggest surprises of 2011. The film is a non-stop 100 minute action scene. I literally was sweating when it ended and definitely missed a few breaths when watching it. “The Raid 2” doesn’t disappoint at all and even amped up the ante quite a bit from the first film. I honestly didn’t think it was possible but they literally are like 5x more insane. What is also good is that you don’t have to have seen the first film to enjoy the sequel. “The Raid 2″ is also on a much bigger scale as well”. So if you love action films and unbelievable fighting scenes and stunts…do not miss this film.

Official Premise: Following immediately after the events of THE RAID, Rama (Iko Uwais) is forced to reinvent himself as an undercover cop in order to provide protection for his wife and child. Working for the anti-corruption taskforce led by the one person he can trust, Bunawar, he is given a mission to engage himself as an enforcer for a local mob boss, Bangun. Finding a way in through Bangun’s son Uco, Rama must hunt for information linking Bangun with police force corruption. All the while, he harbors a dangerous and personal vendetta for revenge and justice that threatens to consume him – and bring both this mission and the organized crime syndicates crashing down.

“The Raid 2” is also one of those films that I would recommend watching on Blu-ray if possible. We were only able to get stuck with a DVD though for this review, which is funny because the same thing happened with the first film as well back in 2011…seeing a trend here. Another reason besides audio/video is that there are some great special features that are missing on the DVD here. What we get is an English Dub track, along with the original track obviously, there is an commentary track with director Gareth Huw Evans and two featurettes including “The Next Chapter: Shooting a Sequel” and “Cinefamily Foundation Q&A with Gareth Huw Evans, Iko Uwais & Joe Trapane”.

 

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DVD Review “The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!: Let’s Go on an Adventure!

Actors: Martin Short
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: NCircle Entertainment
DVD Release Date: July 1, 2014
Run Time: 60 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

When you are a parent, you cannot stop your kids from watching TV. I mean, first of all just the look on my daughter’s face when she is really taken in by a show is just so cute. So the best thing you can do is hope that what they are watching isn’t going to fry their brains (yes, this is coming from the guy that cannot stop watching “Adventure Time”) and be somewhat educational. Well PBS’ animated series “The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!” is definitely one of those shows. Plus Martin Short is just a blast as The Cat in the Hat.

The following episodes are includes in this DVD release: “Maps!”, “Incredible Journey”, “I See Seeds”, “Sniff and Seek”, “Go Snails Go!”. Nick and Sally follow the Cat in the Hat on some amazing journey’s while pretending to be pirates, meet a fish named Salmon Sam, find out about how trees send seeds flying through the air, floating on water, and hitching rides on animals to avoid overcrowding, play sniff and seek with Whiffy the skunk and explore the forest of Slippity-Goo and learn about snails.

Since discovering this show, it has quickly become one of my two year old’s favorites on TV. The show is not only fun but also extremely educationally. Even for mommy and daddy, when the music comes on in each episode, I think we are singing just as loud as our daughter. “Go, go, go, go on an adventure.” I do not think a day goes by without us singing those words. There is plenty of fun to be had here and the title “Let’s Go on an Adventure!” definitely gets lived up to. I just hope my daughter doesn’t wear out this DVD before then.

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Book Review “Goodnight Darth Vader”

Author: Jeffrey Brown
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: July 22, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I would like to start with a small request…I would like Jeffrey Brown to continue to make “Star Wars” books..forever. He started with “Darth Vader and Son” and then “Vader’s Little Princess” and now “Goodnight Darth Vader”, which is the best of them all. Brown also has another great series called “Star Wars: Jedi Academy”, which is released it’s follow up this month as well. I know that I am in over love with these books probably because I have a young daughter of my own and I am able to share “Star Wars” with her now at a younger age instead of waiting until she is older for shows like “Clone Wars” or “Rebels”. I hope that Brown continues this series because “Star Wars” needs this in order to have parents be able to get their kids started on the series at a much younger age.

It’s bedtime in the Star Wars galaxy, and Darth Vader’s parenting skills are tested anew in this delightful follow-up to the breakout New York Times bestsellers Darth Vader™ and Son and Vader’s™ Little Princess. In this Episode, the Sith Lord must soothe his rambunctious twins, Luke and Leia—who are not ready to sleep and who insist on a story. As Vader reads, the book looks in on favorite creatures, droids, and characters, such as Yoda, R2-D2, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Darth Maul, Admiral Ackbar, Boba Fett, and many others as they tuck in, yawn, and settle down to dream. As ever, Jeffrey Brown’s charming illustrations and humor glow throughout, playing on children’s book conventions to enchant adults and kids alike.

I have a two year old daughter and one thing she looks at night is reading a book to her in order for her to stay up that extra 15 minutes. Right now, we are in an obsession with “Goodnight, Moon” and for someone that is only two years old, we do not even need to read it to her anymore since she knows and recites all the words herself. Since I myself am a huge “Star Wars” fan, we have been training her slowly on the characters, so she knows the basics including Vadar, Storm Troopers, Yoda…and even Greedo so some strange reason. So the minute she got this book, she immediately said “VADAR!…Daddy, read it!” So I think we just found our new night time book for quite a while. If you have kids, this is a must purchase…if you don’t and still love “Star Wars”, this is still a must purchase.

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Product Review “Asus Transformer Book T100”


If you are wondering “What is the Asus Transformer Book T100?”, it is a 2-in-1 ultra portable laptop with a detachable 10′ tablet. Asus has really been putting out some amazing products recently. This was the first of hopefully many that we managed to request to review for the site. Most people today a tablet or for the average user it would be an iPad. I am tried of an iPad where you don’t have any freedom to do what you want to do. I was looking for something that I could use for both work and play and this tablet definitely delivers in both departments.

Even though, the Asus Transformer Book T100 is a tablet, it has laptop like performance with the latest Intel Atom Bay Trail-T quad-core process and running Windows 8.1 operating system. So you have the option to use it as a tablet or attached keyboard and use it like a mini-laptop. All the features are there including Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013, which comes pre-installed and Windows Store stocked with Xbox Live games and music. The battery like is decent with the ability to last 11 hours web browsing. It is not like an iPad but you can do so much more with this you have to expect the battery to be drained faster.

Let’s get to some of the tablet’s core features now. Even though the system’s storage comes in a mere 32GB/64GB, what this does have is UNLIMITED ASUS WebStorage, which is not only cool but amazing! It does a file synchronization update for every item instantly as modified and added. The display is a very sharp 1366 x 768 IPS with wide viewing angles. It is able to output full HD video via it’s Micro HDMI port. The sound includes built-in high quality stereo speakers. I am a music man myself, I felt that there could have been a little extra “umph” added to these speakers personally.

The style of the complete device itself is rather cool. I like being able to just snap the keyboard on and off and work via touch screen or via laptop. My main concern with this though is in fact the size of the keyboard, maybe I have fat fingers but I had a terribly hard time typing on this keyboard, especially when using the shift key. Also, I would have loved….loved this to have had a back light on the keyboard since I spent a few nights trying to position the light from the screen to the keys in order to see what I was typing. That feature would have made this much more attractive to me in terms of using it since in terms of its features are otherwise pretty great.

Now I didn’t go much into the full HD video option, which can be connected via it’s Micro HDMI port, I took this on a trip with me (with the proper cable) and I was able to play videos for my daughter in the hotel TV right from the tablet. Since there is nothing worse that hotel TV, this literally made the trip. Traveling with this also was a treat because it is extremely mobile. The Asus Transformer Book T100 is not only one of the lightest ultra portables available right now, running at 2.2 lbs, it also one of the lightest 10-inch tablets (solo from keyboard) running at a mere 1.2 lbs.

So if you are a casual tablet user and looking for something light, portable and feature packed this will be the device for you. This is not a full laptop that you can be gaming on. It looks amazing with Netflix and other games though especially “Tiny Death Star”, which is a blast to play on this little device. The device is also extremely affordable running around MSRP $399 and Red and White colors are due to be available later this month!

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Blu-ray Review “Cannibal Holocaust (1980)”

Actors: Robert Kerman, Gabriel Yorke, Francesca Ciardi, Perry Pirkanen, Luca Barbareschi
Directors: Ruggero Deodato
Number of discs: 3
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Grindhouse Releasing
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Run Time: 96 minutes

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

When it comes to cannibal movies, “Cannibal Holocaust” is easily #1. The film is also easily one of the most controversial films ever made. I remember seeing this in the horror isle at my local video store, looking at the VHS tape and seeing “Banned” all over it. I knew immediately that I needed to see this film. It also (along with “The Beyond”) introduced me to Italian horror films. Having seen this film 20 years ago and watching it today, it is still as absolutely unsettling as it was back then. Would I ever let my own daughter see this film, absolutely not!, but that doesn’t make it any less kick-ass! (Honey, if you are reading this 15 years from you, I am sorry). If you are a horror fan, I cannot recommend picking up this outstanding release any more. Worth every single penny!

Official Premise: Banned and heavily censored the world over, here is a film that surpasses its reputation as a shot-gun blast to the senses. Cannibal Holocaust presents the “found footage” of a group of four documentary filmmakers who experience brutal death at the hands of a savage South American tribe of flesh-eaters. This footage is so intense, so graphic and so unflinching in its realism that the director and producer of Cannibal Holocaust were arrested upon its original release and the film seized.

Grindhouse Releasing is a great independent distributor and they have really stepped up and put their names on the map with this release. The company is founded by Sage Stallone and Bob Murawski, who is also an Academy Award-winning film editor of films like “The Hurt Locker” and “Oz: The Great and Powerful”. It is companies like this that horror fans should be thankful for because they are the ones that restoring and delivering these cult classics films a wonderful presentation on Blu-ray. If you are looking for some other classic horror, cult and exploitation films, Grindhouse has much more coming up including, one of my all-time favorites like I said above, Lucio Fulci’s “The Beyond”, Duke Mitchell’s “Gone with the Pope” and S.F. Brownrigg’s “Scum of the Earth”.

When I see the words, “Deluxe Edition” being used on a Blu-ray release, I usually shrug my shoulders and think “Yeah yeah, aren’t they all!” Well this three-disc Deluxe Edition is what a damn release. It includes two  Blu-rays as well as a newly remastered soundtrack CD of the original score by Riz Ortolani (“Mondo Cane”) presented in an absolute stunning 24bit/96khz sound and taken from the original studio master tapes. Audiophiles are going to go crazy for this no question!  Speaking of audio the Blu-ray also comes with a brand new digital stereo re-mix and original mono mix. The 1080p transfer for this found footage film puts today’s crap to shame with a new high-definition digital restoration of the original director’s cut.

When it comes to special features, this release is not only jam-packed it is over flowing. There are two full feature-length commentary tracks with director Ruggero Deodato and star Robert Kerman, as well as with stars Carl Yorke and Francesca Ciardi. There are brand new really in-depth interviews with Ruggero Deodato, Francesca Ciardi, assistant director/co-star Salvo Basile and cameraman Roberto Forges Davazati. There are classic vintage interviews with Robert Kerman, Carl Yorke and Oscar-nominated composer Riz Ortolani. There is an extensive still galleries and theatrical trailers from around the world, which is a blast to check out for sure!

Just to further prove that Grindhouse didn’t just get the rights to release “Cannibal Holocaust” and just threw it out there for sale. They included a super cool glossy 24-page booklet containing liner notes by director Eli Roth, legendary horror journalist Chas. Balun, Euro-music expert Gergely Hubai and Italian exploitation film authority Martin Biene. There is also a uncensored and shocking reversible cover with original art by notorious illustrator Rick Melton underneath the embossed slip cover. If that isn’t enough there are still tons of great Easter eggs including the Grindhouse Releasing theatrical re-release premiere and Necrophagia music video directed by Jim VanBebber and much more.

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Film Review “Tammy”

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon and Mark Duplass
Directed by: Ben Falcone
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 37 mins
Warner Brothers

Our score: 3 out of 5 stars

What else can happen to Tammy (McCarthy). Fired from her Mc-job after a deer runs into her car, she returns home early to find her husband having dinner. With the woman next door. Humiliated, she goes to her mother’s house looking for solace. Instead she finds her grandmother (Sarandon, never better) with a purse full of cash and a dream to visit Niagara Falls. What follows is one of the most outrageous road films of all time.

Co-written by star McCarthy with her director (and real life husband) Falcone, “Tammy” is a dramadey that actually works best during its most serious moments. The reason for this is that supplying the laughs seems to have been left up to only McCarthy, whose improvisational skills can only stretch so far. Long stretches of her trying to fill a scene with laughs sometime weigh the tone of the film down. Don’t get me wrong, I think she is a brilliant comedienne and a fine actress, but she could have used a little more help in some of the scenes. Fortunately, for most of the film, she is surrounded by great actresses including Oscar-winner Sarandon, Kathy Bates (herself an Oscar-winner), Sandra Oh, Alison Janey and, on the men’s side, Duplass, Gary Cole and, in a quick appearance, Dan Aykroyd. These co-stars take some of the emotional weight off of McCarthy’s shoulders and it’s in these scenes that “Tammy” (and Tammy herself) comes alive.

Falcone proves himself well behind the camera. He does hit a few stalls in the road but mostly keeps the film moving smoothly. I’d like to see what he could do with a project where he doesn’t just rely on McCarthy’s abilities to be funny in order to fill a scene. As his next scheduled film behind the camera is also co-written by and starring McCarthy. I may need to wait awhile to get my wish.

While not as funny as I thought it could be, “Tammy” is still an entertaining way to help celebrate the 4th of July (see the movie and you’ll know what I mean)!

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Film Review “Snowpiercer”

Starring: Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer and Ed Harris
Directed By: Joon-ho Bong
Running Time: 126 minutes
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Hoards of filthy apocalypse survivors line up to be counted and doled out their daily glob of protein under hostile guard. Two small children are ripped from their parents and a father loses an arm in the most torturously imaginative way possible for throwing a shoe. Welcome to Snowpiercer.

 Or rather the tail section of Snowpiercer, the massive ark-like train that rattles through the frozen wasteland of 2031 Earth in Joon-ho Bong’s wildly inventive adaptation of French graphic novel, Le Transperceneige. By turns hilarious, repulsive and heart-wrenching, Snowpiercer is the ride this summer needs.

The front of the Snowpiercer, we learn, is inhabited by the smaller, richer class, rather like a hellish horizontal Titanic. It’s the front where Chris Evans’s Curtis aims to lead a rebellion to with the help of Jamie Bell as Edgar and elderly mastermind Gilliam, played by John Hurt.

Tilda Swinton rounds out this strong cast as the villainous Mason who early on deigns to visit the tail-dwellers to remind them of their proper place. Mason is a cinematic joy every moment she’s on screen, really laying the groundwork for the type of people running the train and rallying the audience to Evans’s side. Swinton has a ball as Mason who genuinely sees nothing wrong with The Order of the train and she chews the scenery with relish (and grotesque false teeth).

When the rebellion is up and running in earnest, director Bong has a flawless grasp on pacing the big action confrontations with the smaller marvels of exploring a train literally encompassing all life on Earth. The battle set pieces themselves escalate as though the audience is along for a really satisfying video game, with all the pitfalls of slicing through armies of minions only to have the level shift before you, revealing a surprise big boss. I recommend seeing this film in a packed house for the sheer number of Oh Shit! Moments this film packs in.

Finally though, not enough can be said of Evans’s performance here. Likely in the beginning of this rebellion to have been involved for physical strength, his Curtis attempts to resist leadership at every turn. And yet the more he loses as he progresses through the train, the more his will is honed and Evans’s eyes gradually give way to a man who has nothing to lose. A third act speech regarding Curtis’s early days on Snowpiercer is devestating and classically told without flashbacks. It’s all Evans’s reading of some truly nightmarish details, not unlike the Indianopolis speech in Jaws. I’d put money on this film having the single most repulsive sentence you’ll hear on screen this year. Incidentally, after 2007’s Sunshine and last year’s role in The Iceman, Evans is increasingly becoming my goto for the anti-summer blockbuster when he’s not Avenging. When he puts down Cap’s shield, audiences really need to pay more attention.

Snowpiercer is currently playing in five US cities with plans for expansion listed on the film’s official website , check it out when it gets near you!

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DVD Review “The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!: Ocean Commotion”

Actors: Martin Short
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: NCircle Entertainment
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Run Time: 60 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Hey? What! Come over here The Cat in the Hat is about to appear He’s coming over to whisk you away On a fabulous journey today.” Who can help but love that amazing theme song. PBS’ animated series “The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!” is one of my two year old’s favorite shows on TV. The show is not only fun but also extremely educationally.

Official Premise: A brand new adventure, underwater we’ll go, with the Cat and his friends in the ocean below! Swim with baby seahorses; cool down with some ice, learn tricks from sea creatures, now won’t that be nice? And go deep deep down in the ocean so blue, Where the Cat and his friends are waiting for you!

The episodes included in “Ocean Commotion” are: “Reef Magic”, which looks into coral reefs; “Digging the Deep”, which takes us exploring the ocean floor; “King Cecil the Seahorse”, which introduces us to sea creatures; “Ice in Nice”, in which we visit the arctic and “Help with Kelp”, which teaches us about seaweed.

Whenever there is a new “The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!” DVD released, we will be first in line to pick it up singing along “Here we GO GO GO GO…on an adventure”. The animation is not only fantastic and extremely colorful, Martin Short nails the embodiment of The Cat in the Hat. He is funny and very witty. I am actually proud to say that this show will not only entertain and educate kids, but also parents as well.

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Film Review “Transformers: Age of Extinction”

Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Sophia Myles,
Li Bingbing, Titus Welliver, T. J. Miller, Melanie Specht, Victoria Summer, Peter Cullen, Frank Welker
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Running time: 165 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

It is that time people…more “Transformers”. Watching this film, I just couldn’t help but think how much Michael Bay like to blow shit up. The film definitely better “Dark of the Moon” but it is just too wicked long. Running in at a very mean 2 hours and 45 minutes, the beginning of this was great, the middle was kind of terrible and the ending saved it for me. I mean who can say no to freaking Dinobots! They only pop up in the end as an accessory to battle but they are still mad cool. Whether you love “Transformers” films are not, I know most critics don’t, but for Bay knows how to give audiences what they want. This film is like I said too long but it is still entertaining and an overall fun time. Either way gear up since this is only the first film in a new trilogy, the fifth and sixth installments are on their way.

The film is a sort of sequel to the last “Transformers”, it picks up four years after the battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons left Chicago in ruins. Due to this there is an all our war and hunt against the Transformers. The humans are hunting them down under the command of Harold Attinger (Grammer). All Transformers have gone into hiding. We meet Cade Yeager (Wahlberg), a struggling investor, who comes across an old truck while looking for a way to make some money to help save his house and send his daughter (Peltz) to college. What he finds is a very injured Optimus Prime. After fixing him, the race is on to reunite with the remaining Autobots and find out the truth behind the hunt on them.

If you are familiar with Michael Bay’s films you should know the story doesn’t always get the most attention. Nonetheless, this is “Transformers” and I just want to see giant aliens fighting other giant aliens. In fact, the fourth time around the Transformers have never looked better. With “Dark of the Moon”, they moved so fast you couldn’t even tell what was going on and who was fighting who half the time. This is much cleaner and they are just bad ass…did I mention already dinobots!? They easily steal the show. Optimus Prime is quite dark in this film much different than the last but never been better. Bumblebee got a clapping applaud when he first hit the screen, definitely a fan favorite. But personally in terms of Transformers, Hound takes the prize for me. John Goodman voiced him and really stole the show and was funny as hell.

With “Age of Extinction”, we get an all-new cast. Mark Wahlberg takes the lead and does a great job. His acting sometimes feels a little iffy but I have to remind you it is a “Transformers” movie. Nicola Peltz plays his daughter, she is definitely a better actress than Megan Fox but I couldn’t get over her spray tan look. Jack Reynor plays her boyfriend and he was a solid newcomer, I can see him getting very big…very quick. We got the chance to interview the Irish actor actually, read here, so keep an eye out for him. Stanley Tucci is a riot as Joshua Joyce and gets a ton of laughs. No question the best new addition to the cast. Kelsey Grammer is also quite the surprise and absolutely bad ass as Harold Attinger.

Besides the action and the dinobots (eek!), there is some other great parts in the film. The band Imagine Dragons have a fantastic song “Battle Cry”, which I immediately downloaded after seeing this film. Michael Bay did a great job of inserting that song into various parts of the film. Steve Jablonsky also delivered an amazing score for this film. In fact, I think it is easily one of my favorite recent action films. It also reminded me a bit of the “TRON Legacy” score as well. So “Age of Extinction” is far from perfect. It is drags major ass in the middle but it is a still a great popcorn flick and will no question take the crown for summer box office.

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Film Review “Obvious Child”

Starring: Jenny Slate and Gaby Hoffman
Directed by: Gillian Robespiere
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 24 mins
A24

Our Score: 1 out of 5 stars

Even though this film only runs 90 minutes, it made me want three hours of my life back. I really wanted to like this movie; sadly I did not.

The film has somehow earned the label “an Abortion Comedy,” something I find offensive as the film is not funny at all. My not finding humor in the film has nothing to do with the subject matter. I just felt the jokes were lame and that there was no originality to the story. It followed all of the same tropes we see in generic New York-based romantic attempt-at-comedies. There is the quirky but lovable comedienne, her gay buddy, and her more world-wise best-friend. Nothing unique about this story at all; except for the subject of abortion. The film’s stance is that abortion is okay and that there should be no stigmas attached to the subject. Which, in my only comment on the subject, I agree with.

Lead actress Jenny Slate hasn’t been around for too long. In fact, I only know her from “Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” and don’t know of much else she has been in. While she was fine and amusing in the Chipmunks flick, I found her completely unappealing and unattractive in this role I’m commenting here on just her personality only; my comments have nothing to do with her physical attributes. I just didn’t like Donna Stern, the character she plays. She isn’t as clever or witty as she thinks she is, and I felt no sympathy for her character. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend and begins to react like so many other woman in the same situation do in movies like this: she gets drunk, leaves rude voice-mails (always followed by apologetic voice-mails), drinks some more and then hooks up with a stranger. The result of which is pregnancy.

Donna is losing her job, has no health insurance, no income, no savings, and now is pregnant. And, apparently in movie-land, pregnancy equals the end of the world. Donna spends the middle part of the movie moping around feeling sorry for herself, and sipping on wine with her friends. Instead of looking for a new job and trying to get her life back on track (pregnancy or not) she just complains, and uses her life for comedic material, which again is sad as none of it made me laugh. I will admit many people in the audience around me found it extremely funny, but all I wanted to do was see the credits roll so I could leave. About thirty minutes into the movie I was already checked out and knew I was in for another excruciating hour when David Cross’ character showed up. I was rejuvenated. I love David Cross. I’ve never not liked him in anything. Sadly, the film did the impossible: it became successful in making David Cross unfunny. His character was a sleaze-ball, which normally David Cross could play with his eyes closed. However, the character was unnecessary, and offered nothing but a minor plot twist, that only deviated the story for two scenes.

Altogether, I think the idea of what “Obvious Child” was wanting to bring to the screen was a good one; it just failed in its execution. Taking a serious subject and throwing a little humor at it is always a gamble but it is the lack of being funny that hurt this film. Instead of being a story that should have put a humanistic-yet-humorous spin on abortion as well as a statement for present-day women, this film did nothing but subject its audience to low-brow jokes about farting and peeing in public. I think instead of taking a step forward, this film takes a step back, and retreads ground we’ve seen too many times before. If it weren’t for the taboo subject of abortion this film would fall through the cracks and just be one of a hundred films of the same sort.

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DVD Review “Witches of East End: The Complete First Season”

Starring: Julia Ormond, Mädchen Amick, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Rachel Boston
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014
Run Time: 418 minutes

Season: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

“Witches of East End” is a new original series from the channel Lifetime and based loosely on the book of the same by Melissa de la Cruz. I wasn’t really planning on watching this show when it aired but something about it drew me in…like I was under a spell…wait a sec?! Or maybe it was the very attractive women in the trailer 😉 This show is smart, sexy and very fun to watch. Looking forward to Season 2 when it returns on Sunday, July 6 on Lifetime.

If you want to talk about “cougars”, this show has got two very attractive women including Julia Ormond (“Sabrina (1995)”) as Joanna Beauchamp and Mädchen Amick (“Twin Peaks”) as Wendy Beauchamp. Then of course, we have Jenna Dewan-Tatum (“Step Up”) as Freya Beauchamp and Rachel Boston (“The Ex List”) as Ingrid Beauchamp only adding to the sexy of the show.

Official Premise: “Witches of East End” stars Emmy award-winning Julia Ormond as Joanna Beauchamp, an ageless mother trying to keep a supernatural secret from her daughters, Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and Ingrid (Rachel Boston) so they can lead a normal life. But when Joanna’s estranged sister (Mädchen Amick) arrives to warn her of an evil entity out to destroy them all, Joanna is forced to reveal the truth about her family’s magical legacy.

There are a great group of supporting cast as well, who popped in throughout the series including Virginia Madsen (“Candyman”), Enver Gjokaj (“Dollhouse”), Neil Hopkins (“Skyline”), Matt Frewer (“Lawnmover Man 2”) and Freddie Prinze Jr. (“Star Wars: Rebels”) to name a few.

The special features are not the great but do get a few laughs at least. There is a short featurette called “Falling Under Their Spell”, focusing on the show’s characters. There are some deleted scenes, a gag reel and a cat blooper included. I would have loved to seen some commentary tracks from this great cast.

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Blu-ray Review “Dragon Ball Z: Season Five”

Starring: Sean Schemmel, Stephanie Nadolny, Christopher Sabat, Daisuke Gōri, Mayumi Tanaka, Kenji Utsumi
Director: Daisuke Nishio
Number of discs: 4
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Funimation
DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014
Run Time: 615 minutes

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

I am currently in the process of moving and recently canceled my satellite TV service in preparation of the move. So only having a Blu-ray player, Season Five of “Dragon Ball Z” couldn’t have arrived at a better time. It is funny you can fly through over 600 minutes of something when you have nothing else to do. Season Five includes episodes 140-165 of the classic anime series, uncut and presented in remastered high definition for the first time ever! I can’t wait for Season Six since that will include the Complete Cell Games. Oh baby! Can’t wait!

Official Premise: As the battle with the Androids rages on, a fierce evil rises from the shadows: the monster known as Cell! Dr. Gero’s heinous creation is the ultimate weapon, a fighting machine built from the genetic material of the greatest warriors ever to walk the Earth!

These episodes have undergone a frame-by-frame restoration to remove any blemishes, tape marks and foreign bodies from the film. Funimation has been consistently delivering for the fans on this series and this season is just as impressive. There are three audio tracks included, the Japanese audio and two English tracks: the U.S. English-language broadcast dub and a mix with English dialogue and Japanese music. These have also been re-mastered in the interest of noise reduction and superior sound quality.

Episodes Include: Seized with Fear; The Reunion; Borrowed Powers; His Name is Cell; Piccolo’s Folly; Laboratory Basement; Our Hero Awakens; Time Chamber; The Monster is Coming; He’s Here; Up to Piccolo; Silent Warrior; Say Goodbye, 17; Sacrifice; Saiyans Emerge; Super Vegeta; Bow To The Prince; Hour of Temptation; Krillin’s Decision; Last Defense; Cell is Complete; Vegeta Must Pay; Trunks Ascends; Saving Throw; Ghosts From Tomorrow and The Cell Games.

There are some decent special features as well included for this release. There is a great behind-the-scenes look with “Dragon Ball Z Retrospective Part Five”. There are two featurettes under “Inside Dragon Ball Z”. The first is an “Interview with Sonny Strait”, the voice of Krillin. The second is an “Interview with Stephanie Nadolny”, the voice of Goku’s son, Gohan. Lastly there is a Textless Opening & Closing Song and a U.S. Trailer included.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 5, ball, bluray, dragon, review, season, ...

Blu-ray Review “Helix: Season One”

Starring: Billy Campbell, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jordan Hayes, Neil Napier, Luciana Carro, Patrick Baby
Number of discs: 3
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Run Time: 550 minutes

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

A few years ago, I would be all over anything that Syfy has delivered up but recently that has changed, especially after “Defiance”. “Helix” though is a great new show that is simple and yet not showy but still quite a wild ride. After the disaster of “Defiance”, I appreciated how they turned down the visual “wow” and focused on a good story with a strong character driven cast. With “Helix”, I literally loved each episode and couldn’t wait to see the next! It takes a little while to get started but once it does …watch out! Can’t wait for Season 2 coming in 2015!

Official Premise: Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to a high-tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that holds the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation.

Sony is releasing this show as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy. The first season’s 13 episodes are spread out over the 3-disc Blu-ray set. The 1080p transfers work great for the show. The show doesn’t have a ton of visual effects but it still looks great and quite sharp. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround, which works for the shows action and gives out clear dialogue.

The special features are also very impressive for this release. There are two Blu-ray exclusives including “Fabricating the Plague”, which gives a look into the virus in various stages. “Writing the Tension” takes us into the process of writing this series. There are two commentary tracks included. The first is on the Pilot with Billy Campbell and Cameron Porsandeh. The second is on “Dans L’Ombre” with Billy Campbell and Steven Maeda.

There are four production featurettes included. “Ronald D. Moore: The Outlier of Science Fiction” is a feature on developing this series. “The Future of Disease” is a look into the mysterious disease of Helix. “The Art of Isolation” takes on a tour of the set with the Production Designer. The last one is “Dissecting the Characters” which is a study of the show’s characters and relationships. Lastly there are Deleted Scenes and Outtakes included.

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

DVD Review “The Boondocks: The Complete Fourth Season (Uncut & Uncensored)”

Starring: Regina King, John Witherspoon, Jill Talley, Gary Anthony Williams, Gabby Soleil, Cedric Yarbrough
Studio Name: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Rating: Not Rated
Run Time: 225 minutes

Season: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

A few years ago, I used to watch every single thing that Adult Swim put out…except “The Boondocks”. The show was based on Aaron McGruder’s comic strip, which I always skipped over and never connected with the show either.  I do have to give the show credit since it is quite smart and definitely politically incorrect and filled with satirical in-your-face humor. This fourth season is also the last season and also the first that was produced without the involvement of series creator Aaron McGruder.

Official Premise: At long last, “The Boondocks” is back in the uncut, uncensored, unpredictable final season of the controversial, award-winning animated series. Granddad, Huey, and Riley find themselves neck deep in all new kinds of trouble as money woes lead to desperate measures. From breaking bad in an RV chem-lab to senior citizen streetfights, times have never been wilder in the sleepy suburbs of Woodcrest.

The show did have a great voice cast including Regina King (TV’s “Southland”), John Witherspoon (“Friday”), Cedric Yarbrough (TV’s “Reno 911!”), Gary Anthony Williams (TV’s “Raising Hope”), Jill Talley (TV’s “Adventure Time”) and Gabby Soleil (TV’s “Cold Case”). This season also includes guest stars like Michael B. Jordan (“Chronicle”), Dennis Haysbert (TV’s “24”) and Edward Asner (TV’s “Lou Grant”).

When it comes to special features, this season does not deliver much either. If anything, I would have loved to seen some commentary tracks for sure. There are two featurettes includes, the first is “Boondocks Beats”, which look into music for the series. the only other extras is “A Writer’s Perspective”, which features Rodney Barnes talking about his inspiration when writing for the series. If you love this show and don’t have the previous three seasons, I would pick up “The Complete Series” which was also released today.

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

Blu-ray Review “Ginger Snaps: Collector’s Edition”

Starring: Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Mimi Rogers, Kris Lemche, Jesse Moss, Peter Keleghan
Director: John Fawcett
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 108 minutes

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

It is crazy to think that next year “Ginger Snaps” will be celebrating it’s 15th anniversary. I remember it came out when I was working at a video store and I remember purchasing it for the store after falling in love with it. I used to push it at every horror fan that walked in the store. The film features some great gore and pretty awesome visual effects and a refreshing original spin on the werewolf genre. It also introduced us to Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle, who has been recently taking off the horror genre with gems like “American Mary”. If you never happened to catch this film, now is the time to do it for sure and horror hounds, this is a must purchase.

Official Premise: Fifteen-year-old Brigitte Fitzgerald (Emily Perkins) and her nearly-sixteen-year-old sister Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) are both best friends and outcasts. Obsessed with dying and bound by a childhood pact to stay together forever, they loathe their mind-numbing existence in the suburbs of Bailey Downs. One night the two girls are heading through the woods when Ginger is savagely attacked by a wild creature. Ginger’s horrible wounds miraculously heal over, but something is not quite right about her. Ginger is irritable and in denial. But to Brigitte, it is obvious that a terrifying force has taken hold of her sister. She’s convinced that the insatiable craving her sister is experiencing can mean only one thing: Ginger is becoming something unspeakably evil and monstrous.

Shout! Factory is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray and DVD. I would love to see them get into the HD Digital Copy world soon, since this is a film that I would love to have in my Ultraviolet account. There is a nice slipcase included as well as a reversible cover. The 1080p transfer looks fantastic from the gore to the transformation scenes. I really enjoyed it. Same goes with the DTS-HD Master Audio track. It really sounds great film’s music and score by Michael Shields. 

The special features are a real winner and makes this release a must have for the extras alone. There are brand new interviews with director John Fawcett, writer Karen Walton, actors Emily Perkins and Jesse Moss, Producer Steve Hoban, Make-up Effects artist Paul Jones, Composer Mike Shields and Editor Brett Sullivan. If that isn’t enough new content, there is also a new panel discussion, “Women in Horror”. I really enjoyed this and any fan of the series, should definitely check it out.

There are two audio commentary tracks included. First with Director John Fawcett and also second with Writer Karen Walton. Those two also join together to give optional commentary on a few Deleted Scenes. There are three Vintage Featurette including “The Making of Ginger Snaps”, “Creation of the Beast” and “Being John Fawcett”. Lastly there are Cast Auditions and Rehearsals, Theatrical Trailers/TV Spots and a Production Design Artwork Photo Gallery included.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, collectors, edition, ginger, review, snaps, ...
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