Blu-ray Review “300: Rise of an Empire”

Actors: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Rodrigo Santoro
Directors: Noam Murro
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Run Time: 102 minutes

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

When I heard about the plans for a sequel to “300”, I have to admit, I did roll my eyes a little. Honestly though, “300: Rise of the Empire” is a actually a really solid follow up to “300” and in same way even a better film than the first film. It is adapted from a screenplay by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, and based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel “Xerxes”. It has a great cast lead by the gorgeous Eva Green (“Dark Shadows”) along with Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”) and Rodrigo Santoro (“Love Actually”) who return to reprise their roles. After watching this I was left just saying “Wow, that was crazy”. Highly recommend.

Official Premise: “300: Rise of an Empire” takes the action to a fresh battlefield — the sea — as Greek general Themistokles (Stapleton) attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. Themistokles must face the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Santoro) and Artemisia (Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

Warner Bros is releasing the film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray, DVD and an Ultraviolet Digital Copy. This film was made to be seen in 3D and I am sure it is amazing in 3D but the film also worked very well in 2D. The 1080p transfer is easily one of the best that I have seen all year. It is flawless and really pops off the screen and that is not in 3D. I just love the style and this is just visually stunning. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is literally insane and such a powerhouse! It had my walls shaking and my wife screaming to lower it, so that means it was very effective!

In terms of special features, there are some decent extras here. The main powerhouse here is “The 300 Effect”, which consists of four featurettes focusing on the film including “Brutal Artistry”, “A New Breed of Hero”, “Taking the Battle to the Sea”, which focus on taking the fighting to the sea and 3 Days in Hell” looks into the how the battle scenes were created. “Real Leaders & Legends” and “Women Warriors” shows us some of history legends that changed history. “Savage Warships” gives us an inside look into their creation. Lastly “Becoming a Warrior” looks into the challenge that was required to get ready for shooting.

Own “300: Rise of an Empire” on Blu-ray 3D combo pack, Blu-ray combo pack, 2-disc DVD special edition and Digital HD on 6/24

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Blu-ray Review “Winter’s Tale”

Starring: Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, Jessica Brown Findlay, Jennifer Connelly, Will Smith
Director: Akiva Goldsman
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Run Time: 120 minutes

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

When it comes to fairy tales and supernatural tales, I am a big of a sucker despite the film being perfect or not. “Winter’s Tale” is one of those. It is far from perfect but I found something magical about it that drew me in and kept me entertained. Even though I was not a fan of “Saving Mr. Banks”, Colin Farrell was quite amazing in it. After “Les Miserables”, I am gung ho for Russell Crowe and he continues to nail it, even in this film. Jessica Rose Brown-Findlay is best known for playing Lady Sybil Crawley in “Downton Abbey”. What I want to know is how the hell did Will Smith end up in this film. That’s right Will Smith in a rather small but nice role. Even though this film was smashed by critics and failed at the box office, if you are looking to escape for two hours, I would still recommend it.

Official Premise: New York City is subsumed in arctic winds, dark nights, and white lights, its life unfolds, for it is an extraordinary hive of the imagination, the greatest house ever built, and nothing exists that can check its vitality. One night in winter, Peter Lake (Farrell), orphan and master-mechanic, attempts to rob a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. Though he thinks the house is empty, the daughter of the house is home. Thus begins the love between Peter, a middle-aged Irish burglar, and Beverly Penn (Findlay), a young girl, who is dying.

Warner Bros is releasing this film as a combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD and Ultraviolet Digital Copy. One thing about this film that I did like very much was the way that it was shot and its use of colors. The 1080p transfer really looks phenomenal. I loved looking at this probably more than I did watching it as a whole.  The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track also has a certain magical feel to it, probably thanks to Hans Zimmer’s score. In the special features department, there is some but not much included. There is a look into the production, which was based on the 1983 novel in “Winter’s Tale: A Timeless Love”. There is a profile on the “Characters of Good & Evil” with cast. Lastly there are a few additional scenes included.

Own “WINTER’S TALE” on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on June 24th


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Blu-ray Review “Tosh.0: Collas Plus Exposed Arms”

Starring: Daniel Tosh
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Comedy Central
DVD Release Date: June 17, 2014
Run Time: 462 minutes

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

There are two kinds of people either you are a Tosh.0 fan or you aren’t. I couldn’t stand him when it first started on Comedy Central but damn has he grown on me overtime and now I can’t get enough. After releasing the past seasons and “Tosh.0: Hoodies” and “Tosh.0: Deep V’s”, Paramount Home Entertainment is delivering us another collection of the best of the worst internet videos and viral celebrities from the latest season of “Tosh.0” brought to us by Host and comedian Daniel Tosh. If you love the show and looking for a few great laughs then I would definitely recommend “Tosh.0: Collas & Exposed Arms”.

Official Synopsis: Tosh.0 delves into all aspects of the Internet, featuring razor sharp humor and biting commentary from comedian Daniel Tosh. From the absolutely absurd to the incredibly ingenious, the series features viral clips, sketches, and “Web Redemptions” which give subjects of infamous viral videos a second chance to redeem themselves from the embarrassment with which they’ve become synonymous. It’s cable TV’s most trusted source for exhibitionist weirdos, injurious idiots and all things Web.

“Collas & Exposed Arms” comes presented in 1080p with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track. Since a lot of the video were not shot in 1080p, there isn’t really anything too impressive here. It looks and sounds great but nothing special. Besides the 21 episodes includes, in the special features department, there are some Extended Redemption Interviews, which are definitely a must watch. Lastly, “Tiptoes Spoiler Uncut” is quite the hoot for sure. I can’t wait to see what Paramount has planned next for this great show.

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Blu-ray Review “Almost Human”

Actors: Graham Skipper, Josh Ethier
Director: Joe Begos
Rated: Unrated
Studio: IFC Midnight
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Run Time: 79 minutes

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

When you see the amazing poster for “Almost Human”, it is simply impossible for any horror fan to say “No” this checking this film out. Unfortunately after the opening scene, this film falls terribly apart and really loses its momentum. I can honestly tell you that we are going to see great things from writer/director Joe Begos for sure. But “Almost Human” suffers from a terrible cast and no budget. If they could have got some money behind this, they really could have hooked this film up good. There is some good gore for those horror hounds and it feels like an old school slasher but I was overall left quite bored.

Official Premise: Two years ago, Mark Fisher (Ethier, Contracted, Scavengers) disappeared from his home in rural Maine in a brilliant flash of otherworldly blue light. His friend Seth Hampton (Skipper) was the last to see him alive. Now, Seth is having disturbing premonitions that Mark has returned as something other than human. When grisly, violent murders start taking place in the community, Seth and his girlfriend Jen Craven (Leigh, The Last Halloween) discover that Mark is indeed back, and that there is something terribly evil inside of him.

In the special features department, there is a commentary track from writer/director Joe Begos and Josh Ethier. There is also another audio commentary track from Begos and Ethier (again) along with Graham Skipper and Cory Lockman. There is a feature-length making of behind-the-scenes look into the production. There is a on-set visit with Graham Skipper. There is the short film called “Toxin”. Lastly, there is a theatrical and alternate trailers, vintage TV spot and a photo gallery. This is a rare film where the special features are worth watching more than the film itself. I did enjoy the film more honestly with the commentary track.

 

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Film Review “How to Train Your Dragon 2”

Starring the Voices Of: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler and Cate Blanchett
Directed By: Dean DeBlois
Rated: PG
Running Time: 102 Minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

In a year void of anything new from the geniuses at Pixar, you’d think there would be an animated vacuum where the gap would be filled with shameless sequels and lazily written cash grabs (to be fair, there is the sequel to “Planes” coming out this summer). So it’s understandable if the average movie patron is worried that “How to Train Your Dragon 2” could wind up in that category. But I’m happy to say it defied my low expectations and soared to insanely creative heights with another superb story.

It’s been years since the hairy, broad shouldered Vikings of Berk have made peace with the dragons they once feared. They’ve successfully integrated everything in their society with their newly acquired winged friends. Hiccup (Baruchel) continues to break the Viking stereotype by using his brain more than his brawn. He also seems more in sync with his dragon, Toothless. Despite these recent successes, Hiccup is a bit apprehensive because his father, Stoick (Butler), appears to be grooming him as his successor so that he can be the next chieftain of Berk. Hiccup doesn’t believe he’s ready and he’s more focused on scoping out new dragons and new lands.

This constant thirst for more knowledge about the surrounding territory brings in a new threat. He comes across a dragon trapper, who tells him of Drago (Djimon Hounsou), a man who is amassing a dragon army. Drago views dragons as a scourge that he must eradicate by enslaving them. His quest for dominion over dragons sadly comes at the cost of human casualties along the way. Things are further complicated by a mysterious figure that seems to have a bigger attachment to dragons than Hiccup and appears to be at odds with Drago, but it’s uncertain if they’re a friend or foe.

I was worried that a lack of Chris Sanders, director and writer from the first movie, might actually defang what momentum a sequel would have, but Dean DeBlois gets to fly this one solo and doesn’t hit any turbulent air. He keeps the merriness of our dragons intact. While the story goes on, dragons are constantly acting like playful dogs or cats in the background, giving them a more relatable quality when they are consistently acting like our affectionate household pets. The voice acting is once again spot on and having Cate Blanchett on board adds another flavorful spice of adventure.

This movie continues the relationship building between Hiccup and Toothless, but creates a more substantial scenario for Hiccup to grow and better understand the relationships he experiences. There’s also some hefty emotional weight attached here, made heavier by some surprisingly mature content that shows DeBlois is not afraid of taking some risks to further enchant the audience. With so much plot to trudge through, other directors would have simply gotten lost or stuck to the ‘boy and his dragon’ cliché, but DeBlois gives the dragons just as much psychological depth than the humans.

Visually, Dreamworks is going toe to toe with some of the best in the industry once again and holding nothing back. Viewers are definitely going to be swept away in every battle sequence and get lost in the flying sequences that are nothing short of incredible. While the first “How to Train Your Dragon” feels like a fantastic stand-alone movie, the sequel showcases the ability to create a living, breathing franchise that may actually have the wings and power to push forth. I say that because a third is in the works and after seeing how daring and original they are, it’s a safe bet to get your expectations out of the gutter and put them near the top for “How to Train Your Dragon 3” in 2016.

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Film Review “22 Jump Street”

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube
Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 52 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sequels have that weird reputation of being either really good or really bad. In fact, the great Carl Gottlieb, who co-wrote the film “Jaws,” among others, once said that “the only sequel that loses money is the last one.” They either start out great or start out slow. I’m happy to report that “22 Jump Street” is definitely in the former.

After a brief recap of the first film (“Previously on 21 JUMP STREET”), we find the heroes from the previous film, Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum), back in uniform and bored to tears. They take to working undercover off the clock, doing their best to infiltrate a recent smuggling ring. When things backfire, they are called on the carpet by their commander. They plead their case for what they are qualified to do. Jenko even suggests they protect the White House (ha). They are told that, due to the success of their first “back to school” assignment it’s time to do it again. This time they’re going to college!

Full of inside jokes (hey, we’re making a sequel) and fantastic performances, “22 Jump Street” is everything you want in a sequel and more. Directed by the same duo that not only did “21 Jump Street” but the incredible “Lego Movie,” the film is one hilarious scene after another. They are ordered by Captain Dickinson (Ice Cube) that they are being sent to Midstate College, where they are to investigate the death of a young woman believed killed by an illegal drug. Again, things don’t go as planned. Jenko is recruited by the school’s quarterback to play football for the school, where Schmidt meets a young woman (Amber Stevens) who has a lot more in common with him then he knows.

The two stars are joined by some great new cast members as well as returning co-stars like Rob Riggle and Dave Franco. The script is top notch and even features a little “real life” humor when Schmidt is counseled for a few homophobic statements, similar in tone to what Jonah Hill endured last week for the same thing. The action scenes are well thought out and I promise you that, if you stay through the end credits, you will laugh even more. In fact, I’m giving the film and extra half-star just for the credits sequence, which rolls out scenes and posters from the next 20-plus sequels, all of which I hope eventually get made!

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Blu-ray Review “Doctor Who: An Adventure in Space and Time”

Starring: David Bradley, Jessica Raine, Brian Cox, Sacha Dhawan, Lesley Manville, Jamie Glover
Director: Terry McDonough
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 90 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4.5 out of 5 stars

When I saw the advertisement for “An Adventure in Space and Time”, I thought it was another “Doctor Who” special or documentary, I had no idea that it was a docudrama about the origin of the show itself. The film stars David Bradley as William Hartnell, the actor who portrayed the First Doctor, along with Jessica Raine, Jamie Glover, Sacha Dhawan, Lesley Manville, Jemma Powell, Reece Shearsmith, Mark Eden and Brian Cox. The film has a certain television feel to it but I was literally in love with it from the movie it started. David Bradley is such an amazing actor and it was nice to see him take the spotlight for once and really shine. As a huge “Doctor Who” fan, I encourage everyone to see this if you are a fan of the series. It is a great story, well done and at the same time very entertaining.

Official Premise: Travel back in time to witness the dramatic birth of Doctor Who. Actor William Hartnell (David Bradley, Filch from the Harry Potter films, Game of Thrones) felt trapped by a succession of tough-guy roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine, Call the Midwife) was frustrated by the TV industry’s glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday afternoon drama, time travel and monsters! Allied with a brilliant creative team, they went on to introduce the world to the longest running science fiction series ever, currently in its 50th year and counting.

BBC Home Entertainment deliver this release as a 3-disc set Blu-ray + DVD combo pack. The Blu-ray includes the film “An Adventure in Space and Time” presented with a very impressive 1080p transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and a slew of extras. First off, we have “William Hartnell: The Original” features cast/crew talking about the actor.  “The Making of ‘An Adventure in Space and Time” is narrated by Carol Ann Ford and goes behind-the-scenes with cast/crew.  “Reconstruction: Four Sequences” has the producers talking about recreating the title shots. There are also two deleted Scenes included.

The second disc, which is a bonus DVD, is a real winner.   It includes “An Unearthly Child” from 1963, which is the original broadcast version of the very first “Doctor Who” series, in 4 episodes. It also includes the “Original Pilot of An Unearthly Child”, which shelved and never used. There is also commentary track available on both episode 1 and 4 of the original “An Unearthly Child”, as well as commentary for the 40 minute pilot. Lastly there are various theme music videos, comedy sketches and a photo gallery included. Disc three is a DVD version of “An Adventure in Space and Time” wrapping out this amazing combo pack.

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Blu-ray Review “Attack on Titan: Limited Edition – Part 1”

Actors: Mike McFarland, Matthew Mercer
Directors: Tetsuro Araki
Number of discs: 4
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Funimation
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Run Time: 325 minutes

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

Starting off as a manga back in “Attack on Titan”, has quickly taking over the anime world. If you watch the first episode, there is literally no way you can’t get hooked. It is currently one of my favorite anime series out right now. This Part 1 release includes the first 13 episodes of the 25 episode series. I literally burned through the first 13 episodes in one day wanted more immediately. Funimation already set a release date of September 23rd for Part 2 for this series. I really hope they include the 2 OVA episodes as well. The series is also being re-adapted into two animated theatrical films set to be released Winter 2014 and 2015. The word is that there is also a live-action movie that will begin filming in summer 2014 for a planned summer 2015 release. So stay tuned “Titan” fans, there is still a lot of come!

Official Premise: When the man-eating giants called Titans first appeared, humans retreated behind massive walls. After a hundred years of safety, a colossal-sized Titan smashes through the defenses, unleashing a flood of giants and carnage in the streets. Eren Jaeger watches helplessly as one of the creatures devours his mother. He vows to kill every Titan walking the earth. Eren and his surviving friends enlist to fight against the insatiable monsters. The future looks bleak, but there’s more to Eren than meets the eye: he may be humanity’s last hope against extinction. The Titans have come to feast. Anything can happen. No one is safe.

Funimation is really delivering to its fan for this Limited Edition release. There is such a fanbase for this and they probably would have been happy with just the episodes on Blu-ray but Funimation went a step further and included tons of great goodies for this release. It comes with a 4-pin collection consisting of the Military Police Regiment, Scout Regiment, Garrison Regiment, and Cadet Corps. There is a replica of Eren Jaeger’s key necklace and also a sword necklace featuring the Titan flesh paring blades. There is a 3-D lenticular Art Card included. Lastly “Notes From Beyond the Wall: Part 1” is a 24 page digibook that is a great addition.

The 1080p transfer of these episodes look outstanding. I really love the style of this show. The announcement of the English dub cast was a big deal for this show and I was very happy with it myself. Bryce Papenbrook voices Eren Jaeger, know best for Rin Okumura from “Blue Exorcist” and Kirito from “Sword Art Online”. He does a great job. Also get voice actors include Mike McFarland and Matthew Mercer. The Dolby TrueHD: English 5.1 really delivered for sure. Of course also included is the original audio Dolby TrueHD Japanese 2.0 and English 5.1 surround tracks.

If the episodes and goodies wasn’t enough for you, there are over 100 minutes extras included on this release. First off we have “The Making of Attack on Titan”, which is a great behind-the-scenes look in this amazing anime. “Monster Character Theater – Fly! Trainee Corps” is a funny series of Flash animated shorts featuring the characters in Chibi form based on designs by Yuupon. There are two audio commentaries included on episodes 3 and 13. Lastly there is a photo gallery, textless songs and trailers included. I can’t wait to see what they drum up for Part 2!

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Blu-ray Review “Joe”

Actors: Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Gary Poulter
Director: David Gordon Green
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Run Time: 117 minutes

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

Everyone gives Nicolas Cage a hard time but I think the guy is amazing. “Joe” is no question of his best recent roles. It is powerful and very intense. This is the old Nicolas Cage. He is back! Director David Gordon Green has done indie films like 2000’s “George Washington” to big comedies like “Pineapple Express”, but it is nice to him him get back to his indie roots. Tye Sheridan broke out big after his role in Jeff Nichols’ “Mud” and this just continues the trend. This film got no attention in theaters, which is a shame since it deserves it. I highly recommend it!

Synopsis: Nicolas Cage delivers an intensely powerful performance as Joe, an ex-con with a hair-trigger temper who is trying to stay out of trouble, making an honest yet meager life for himself, and the unlikeliest of role models. But when he meets a troubled 15-year old homeless boy (Sheridan) in need of help from a violent and destitute father, Joe is faced with the heart-breaking choice of redemption or ruin.

Lions Gate is releasing this film as a combo pack with Blu-ray and Ultraviolet Digital Copy included. The 1080p transfer is very impressive. Green’s eye for picking out amazing shots have always been impressive. It is also complemented by the amazing visuals shot by Tim Orr. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is also very effective. The special features are a nice bonus as well. There are two featurettes “The Making of Joe” and “The Long Gravel Drive: The Origins of Joe” and some deleted scenes. Lastly there is a solid audio commentary track with director David Gordon Green, composer David Wingo and actor Brian D. Mays.

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3D Blu-ray Review “The LEGO Movie: Everything is Awesome Edition”

Actors: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Run Time: 100 minutes

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

Who does love playing with LEGO sets? I am in my 30’s and have love it as a kid and still as an adult, even my 2 year old loves playing with her Duplo sets already. “The LEGO Movie” came at the perfect time and really delivered one of the best animated film in a long time. The film is visually amazing, action packed and also extremely funny. As if LEGO wasn’t big enough, this film just a perfect addition. I loved the CG-animated style and the touch of stop motion animation was also brilliant for this film. It is just so creative and unique. I watched this film and already I can’t to wait to again very soon.

Official Premise: The original 3D computer-animated story follows Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as The Special, the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world. He is drafted into a fellowship of strangers on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which Emmet is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared.

“The Lego Movie” features a fantastic voice cast including Chris Pratt (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) voicing Emmet, Will Ferrell (“Elf”) voicing Lord Business, Elizabeth Banks (“The Hunger Games”) voicing Wildstyle, Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”) steals the show voicing Batman, Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) as Metal Beard, Alison Brie (“Mad Men”) as Unikitty and Charlie Day (“Pacific Rim”) as Benny, the 1980-something Spaceman, Liam Neeson (“Taken) as Bad Cop and Morgan Freeman (“Now You See Me”) as Vitruvius. Since directorsPhil Lord, Christopher Miller directed “21 Jump Street”, the films stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill also pop in as Superman and Green Lantern.

The “Everything is Awesome Edition” comes as a combo pack with Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet digital copy. There is also bonus 3D copy of the film as well also includes an exclusive LEGO Vitruvius minifigure, collectible 3D Emmet photo and exclusive bonus content. What I love about this film is that you can enjoy it either in 3D or 2D. I watched it 3D for myself and then 2D with my daughter. Either way the film is still amazing. The 1080p video is so crisp and colorful. This film literally jumps off the screen whether it is 3D or not. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is pumping as well. The action sounds great and of course the film’s hit single is…well…AWESOME!

The special features are also awesome for this release. “Dream Job: Meet The LEGO Builders” is an exclusive extra with the “Everything is Awesome Edition” release. There is an must listen audio commentary track with directors Miller and Lord, along with Pratt, Brie, Arnett and Day and even Banks calls in for a little bit). “Batman: A True Artist”, “Enter the Ninjago” and “Michelangelo and Lincoln: History are two funny short featurettes on the characters. “Bringing LEGO to Life” goes behind-the-scenes into the making of the film.

Who doesn’t love the song “Everything is Awesome”? It is so catchy. There is a great Sing-Along included. “See it! Build it!” shows you how to build things in the film like Emmet’s double-decker couch and his car. “Stories from the Story Team” mixes storyboards and animatic on scenes that didn’t make the final cut. “Fan-Made Films: Top Secret Submissions” are fan films introduced by Pratt. There are also outtakes, additional promotional content, Alleyway test footage and deleted scenes rounding out the extras.

Own “THE LEGO MOVIE” now on Digital HD and on June 17th on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD 2-Disc Special Edition http://bit.ly/LEGOMovieWBShop

 

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Blu-ray Review “Tim’s Vermeer”

Starring: Tim Jenison
Directed: Penn Jillette & Teller
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: June 10, 2014
Run Time: 88 minutes

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

“Tim’s Vermeer” is a film that is film written by magician-duo Penn Jillette & Teller, directed by Teller, and produced and narrated by Penn Jillette. This was a film festival favorite and is making it’s way home to Blu-ray. It is definitely quite a unique documentary film. Tim Jenison is not only a fascinating topic, the film is also very entertaining and very funny, as the inventor attempts to solve one of the art world’s greatest mysteries. Since the magician-duo are know for their illusion, there is a certain magic aspect of the topic as well, since art does have that certain feeling. If you got 88 minutes to spare, “Tim’s Vermeer” is a very compelling film that will leave you very satisfied.

Official Premise: Tim Jenison, a Texas-based inventor, attempts to solve one of the greatest mysteries in the art world: How did Dutch master Johannes Vermeer manage to paint so photo-realistically 150 years before the invention of photography? Spanning a decade, Jenison’s adventure takes him to Holland, on a pilgrimage to the North coast of Yorkshire to meet artist David Hockney, and eventually even to Buckingham Palace. The epic research project Jenison embarks on is as extraordinary as what he discovers.

“Tim’s Vermeer” debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack with a UIltraviolet digital copy. There is some great special features included as well. There is an awesome commentary with Teller, Tim Jenison, Penn Jillette & Farley Ziegler. If that isn’t enough there, is no joke, more than two and a half hours of deleted, extended & alternate scenes. Right there that is worth the purchase of the Blu-ray alone. Lastly there is a Q&A, which was taken from the Toronto International Film Festival.

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DVD Review “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues – The Complete First Season”

Starring: David Carradine, Chris Potter
Created by: Ed Spielman
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distributed: Warner Archive
Release Date: May 27, 2014

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“Kung Fu: The Legend Continues” is a spin-off of the 1972–1975 TV series “Kung Fu”. It ran from 1993-1997. I remember watching “Kung Fu as a kid and loving every single minute of it. Then I started watching the spin-off and I honestly just never got into it. It picks up after “Kung Fu: The Movie” with Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine), grandson of the legendary hero of the Wild West, who teams up with his policeman son, Peter (Chris Potter), to tame the new Wild West – 90’s urban America. I guess it plays better if you are watching this in the 90’s, even though I wasn’t even thrilled then, but this show does not hold up today. If you are a hardcore fan, you may dig it otherwise it would have been better off getting lost in the wild west.

Official Premise: When we last saw Kwai Chang Caine, in “Kung Fu: the Movie”, he was united with the son he never knew he had in turn-of-the-century Wild West. Now, the son of that son, also named Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine), must emerge from seclusion to save the son he thought lost. Like his legendary namesake, this Caine is also a warrior monk, operating a Shaolin temple in Northern California. After an evil priest, Tan (Ernest Abuba), destroys the temple, Caine and his young son, Peter (Nathaniel Moreau) each believe the other has perished. The two embark on very different paths ­ Caine wanders the Earth, while Peter (Chris Potter) becomes a cop. When fate brings the two together, they work to overcome their differing philosophies to battle Tan, and then help the innocent and bring justice to the new Wild West ­90’s urban America.

The best part of watching this show today is no question picking out all the guest stars from back in the day including Neve Campbell, Colm Feore, Katie Griffin, James Hong, Martin Kove, George Lazenby, Mako, Barry Morse, Sandra Oh, Regis Philbin, Mickey Rooney, John Schneider, Scott Speedman, Tara Strong, George Takei and of course Richard Carradine (Note these listed are throughout the whole series not just the first season). There are no special features included on this release, like most TV DVD series releases from Warner Archive. I assume that they are going to burn through the rest of this series mostly likely before the end of the year. So if you are a fan of this show, the next three seasons should be available soon so you can get all your 90’s cheesy goodness out.

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: complete, continues, dvd, fu, kung, legend, ...

Blu-ray Review “Longmire: The Complete First and Second Seasons”

Starring: Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Bailey Chase, Adam Bartley, Cassidy Freeman, Lou Diamond Phillips
Developed by: John Coveny, Hunt Baldwin
Number of discs: 6
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Archive Collection
DVD Release Date: May 27, 2014
Run Time: 1003 minutes

Seasons: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Have to admit, I do watch a lot of A&E TV, thanks you “Duck Dynasty” but I am not super familiar with this show, “Longmire”. This crime drama premiered in June 2012 on A&E and is based on the “Walt Longmire” series of mystery novels written by best-selling author Craig Johnson. In fact the release of The Complete First and Second Seasons coincides perfectly with the third season, which premiered on June 2, 2014. The show has that Western feel for me, set in Wyoming. The show reminded me of the recent HBO series “True Detective”, it is slow to reveal but still entertaining. If you dig this show, saddle up since this Blu-ray debut will definitely rope you in.

Official Premise: Long shadows of secrets and murder hang over Absaroka County, Wyoming, jurisdiction of the tough and brooding Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) who’s been struggling since his wife¹s death a year ago. At the urging of his attorney daughter, Cady (Cassidy Freeman), Walt knows he must turn his life around. Aided by a new female deputy, Vic (Katee Sackhoff) and his oldest friend, Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips), he becomes re-energized about his job and runs for re-election ­ even though his ambitious younger deputy Branch (Bailey Chase) is a rival candidate. The unraveling truth about Walt¹s wife’s death will astonish the stoic lawman and his daughter.

Besides the main cast, the first two seasons have had a nice variety of guest stars as well including Louis Herthum (“The Last Exorcism”), Katherine LaNasa (“The Campaign”), Charles S. Dutton (“Roc”), Gerald McRaney (“Major Dad”), Michael Mosley (“Last Resort”), Lee Tergesen (“Oz”) and Peter Weller (“Robocop”). Since all this solving of murder cases take place under the big skies of Wyoming, I have to admit that the 1080p high definition transfer are quite impressive with their original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Also Warner Archive delivered their best audio track yet with this DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1.

Also in a rare move for Warner Archive, they have a decent set of special features included. “The Camera’s Eye: Realizing the World of Longmire” talks about the shooting locations for the setting of the show. “Longmire Justice: Exploring the Cowboy Detective” takes us into the lead character. There are extended episodes for “Sound and Fury” and “Election Day” both with Intros by Executive Producers. Lastly, there is a featurette, “Testing Courage: The Storm Defines The Man”. Pretty impressive Warner Archive for sure. If they would have had some commentary track it would have been perfect.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: bluray, complete, longmire, review, seasons

Film Review “The Fault in Our Stars”

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Laura Dern
Directed By: Josh Boone
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 125 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Cancer is still one of the touchiest subjects in pop culture. One has to slowly tiptoe around it or find a way to perfectly skate along the razor wire topic and avoid many offensive pitfalls. “The Fault in Our Stars” hits the right chords perfectly with this topic. At times it’s our source of laughter, in multiple instances it’s our plot motivator, and most obviously, it’s the one thing that ready to viciously rip out our hearts and stomp on it.

Woodley dazzles once again, this time as the sardonic teenager, Hazel Grace Lancaster. She’s a terminally sick girl who continues to stave off the cancer that crippled her lungs, with an experimental treatment and an oxygen tank from a bag she pulls behind her. She’s in denial of her own growing depression and is heavily pushed by her ‘smile through the tears’ parents into a cancer support group run by a complacent dweeb with an acoustic guitar. She catches the fleeting glances of an astute and charming boy by the name of Augustus Waters (Elgort), but Gus for short. He has defeated his cancerous foe, but at the cost of his right leg. Rarely do I remember people’s names without writing them down, but these two constantly say each other’s full names with such affection it wasn’t too hard to remember this time around.

Hazel is repeatedly laying down some unspoken life truths that are a mix of harsh realities and sarcastic quips, which is sometimes the best way to come to terms with such a terminal predicament. Woodley once again proves she has some superior acting chops; everything from wordless facial expressions to the emotional complexities of such a strenuous situation. Her near perfect performance is so fantastic, the cracks in Elgort’s acting sometimes show when he has to provide an array of reactionary emotions. Hazel and Gus will obviously fall in love, but their story is a grand one for the current generation of young adults and teens that smile from flirtatious text messages and have a live in the moment motto.

Despite Hazel’s power to blatantly accept her untimely end, she’s unable to bear the notion of affection from others, referring to herself as an emotional grenade waiting to go off. That’s where Gus comes in, to counteract that inclination and channel her gloomy acceptance of death into wanting to live before death comes knocking and accept that the inevitable heartbreak will happen, but they need to enjoy what time is left. Of course nothing is that simple. A wrench isn’t simply thrown into the young love life of these two, but an entire damn toolbox.

The two writers, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, have had some success portraying imperfect romances with “The Spectacular Now” and “(500) Days of Summer”. They have a knack of creating equilibrium between the sappy moments we’ve come to expect from romantic movies with that authentic sorrow that comes from the flaws of everyday people. The plot and characters are so heartwarming, yet despondent; I’m willing to forgive a lot of the typical tropes it employs.

Don’t be fooled though. Between every cutesy smile and lighthearted joke lies some thought provoking philosophies about our personal experiences and demise. Hazel and Gus represent a multitude of attitudes in their over two hour runtime. The last 30 minutes is a cascade of some of the most depressing, yet uplifting scenes I’ve seen all year. If this movie doesn’t remotely pluck at your heartstrings, you definitely have no soul.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: fault, film, review, stars

Film Review “Edge of Tomorrow”

Directed by: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 113 minutes

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Earlier this year in January, I was writing a post for my 25 most anticipated films of the year and I came across this film “Edge of Tomorrow”, which told the story about a soldier that went into battle, gets killed and then repeats the battle over and over. I thought myself that this film was going to no question be one of my favorites of the year…and fast forward six months, I was completely right. “Edge of Tomorrow” is “Groundhog Day” meets “Aliens”. I literally haven’t left a theater that pumped in a very long time. The film was two hours long and it was honestly NON-STOP action!! When I compared back to other films I have seen already this summer, I think about “Godzilla” and “X-Men” and there were tons of “filler” scenes where I was pretty bored. Well, there is non of that shit here. “Edge of Tomorrow” is one of the best action films that I have ever seen. Yes, it is honestly that good.

When you are watching this film and you see Tom Cruise’s character Major William Cage get killed a few times and return right back to the same place, you think to yourself “Ok, when is this going to actually get repetitive” but I kept waiting and waiting and literally every time it is repeating it only gets better and better. The action gets more intense and there is even a ton of comedy throughout. The goal of the character in the film is to help Emily Blunt’s character, Rita Vrataski, find the central location for the aliens in order to destroy it. Tom Cruise has never been better in this role. This guy was a beast in this film. Same goes for Emily Blunt, who actually just got rumored to be playing Catwoman in “Batman v Superman”, she is bad-ass in this. Bill Paxton definitely steals his scenes playing Master Sergeant Farrell Bartolome. What a hoot!

This film costed $175 million to make and I swear to God, you can literally see where every single dollar went. I hate when you watch a film and it is just big budget ballooned piece of garage and there is nothing to show for it. The visual effects in this film are extraordinary. They really delivered no question, so far the best that I have seen so far this year. Top that with amazing use of 3D, during the battle scenes, I literally was not able to blink since they were so fast and in your face with the effects. My dad next to me even jumped a few times during an attack from the aliens. Speaking of the aliens, they are like “Transformers” on acid. These guys are freaking crazy and extremely fast, loved them! I left this theater practically screaming, I was so excited and I have a feeling I was not the only one. Overall, this film is the popcorn film of the summer. I can’t wait to see it again in IMAX. Do not miss this film in theaters whatever you do!

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: edge, film, review, tomorrow
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