DVD Review: Raze

She might not be a household name just yet but Zoe Bell is destined to be the next bad ass female action star and Raze is a prime example of her awesomeness.

The story revolves around women abducted and forced to fight to the death tournament for the enjoyment of an elite group of people or their loved ones will be killed. It's a no holds barred assault as we see the lengths a woman will go to protect what she loves, whether it's herself or a child or a mother or whatever else they hold dear.  

It's a bad ass film to be sure. It's full of heavy hits, brutal and intense fights that are not for the faint of heart. On the surface it's women beating the ever loving hell out of each other, beating each other to death to be honest. But underneath that, there's more and the performances of the cast do so much to bring that subtext to life. 

These are women in an insane situation and between fights they care for each other, they get to know each other and that makes what is to come all the more difficult. They know what they are going to have to do yet, for most of the characters anyway, they still attempt to connect with cell mates or whatever interaction they have that doesn't result in a brutal battle.

There is an underlying humanity to the story and at times you aren't sure who you are rooting for amongst the women. We're connected most to Zoe Bell's character and she is the protagonist but when events happen involving the others, you definitely feel for them. It's a fascinating paradox of brutality and humanity and of the idea of what one, whether you are female or male, will do in that type of situation.

Diretor Josh C. Waller has done a great job with this film.  We of get time with each character and they're featured enough that we start to care about their fates. Everyone matter to the viewer. No one feels disposable. His eye for the action is just as strong as his eye for the quieter moments and the tense suspenseful ones. He is one to watch.

It all leads up to an ending I won't spoil but it is definitely one that will have you talking and one with a wide variety of opinions.

The DVD is packed with features including interviews, commentaries, featurettes, extended and deleted scenes, and more. I'm unsure why they didn't do a blu-ray for this but the DVD does look great none the less and believe me you are feeling every hit and punch thrown on this one.

Raze is an intense, action packed, brutal film that is definitely not for everyone and those that watch it probably will all have different reasons for doing so. It is a very well done film and it is thought provoking. You'll get great fight scenes, and a couple silly villains but you'll also get a stunning performance from Zoe Bell, one that should open a lot of doors for her in Hollywood, I hope so anyway. 

Raze is available on DVD now.

Raze

9/10 Uppercuts

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is now available on DVD and it is probably a title you should avoid. It's just not that good. It's not bad enough to be able to enjoy with a group of friends and it's certainly not good enough to be worth your money.

From the box:

Holed up in a seedy hotel, Hollywood screenwriter Don Malek (Fright Night's Stephen Geoffreys) is scripting a diabolical plan for revenge. But instead of writing about a bloodthiursty serial killer, Don is doing the dirty work with his own hands. Tiffany Shepis (Cyrus) and Corey Haim (The Lost Boys) also star in this gritty, jolting thriller where no one is safe...and checkout time is sooner than you think. 

While it's great to see Stephen Geoffreys again even that can't save this movie.  In fact, I can say that the best part of "Do Not Disturb" is actually the performance by Tiffany Shepis who seems to be the only one taking this movie seriously and in turn delivers a great performance.

I can only assume that listing Corey Haim as a top billed cast member in this movie when he is on the screen for about 2 minutes and has absolutely no baring at all on the story, can only be to capitalize on his passing and get people to check out one of his final performances.  It's actually extremely distracting to see him on screen as he does not look to be in great health.

I just did not enjoy this movie  at all.  I didn't really understand the point of it or what it was trying to be.  It wasn't scary so the only thing that might make it a horror movie is that he kills people.  It feels more like a dark drama about this writer who is spiraling out of control.

I don't like not being able to praise indie films, especially horror, as I feel like the future of the genre I love will come from this group.  Unfortunately, I just didn't like this one.  Readers out there might love it, but myself, I just didn't enjoy it.

Do Not Disturb is on DVD (no features to speak of) now.

Do Not Disturb

4 out of 10 Harvested Body Parts

RAWR(for more)

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 DVD Review

Part one of the highly anticipated DC Animated adaptation of Frank Miller's iconic The Dark Knight Returns arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray September 25th.

DC has really outdone themselves with the amazing voice talent in this film: Peter Weller (RoboCop) stars as Batman/Bruce Wayne, David Selby (The Social Network) as Commissioner Gordon, and Ariel Winter ("Modern Family") as Carrie Kelley/Robin.

It's been ten years since Bruce Wayne has donned the cape and cowl. He watches as the city he once protected falls to the ruthless gang known as The Mutants. Bruce decides to come out of retirement to take back Gotham from The Mutants and a few other familiar faces with the help of a new Robin.

This is one of the best DC Animated films to date! Directed by Jay Olivia ("Young Justice"), The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 is the most faithful adaptation I've ever seen. Incorporating Frank Miller's iconic character designs and use of TV broadcasts, the film is almost identical to the original work.

There aren't many special features on the DVD, but there is a sneak peak at Part two, due out in early 2013!

I cannot rave enough about how awesome this is! I only hope that after part two is released, Warner Brothers combines both parts into a special edition extended cut!

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 on DVD earns a 10 out of 10 Mutants!!

Look for it on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 25th! 
And look for our review of Part 2 early next year!

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: "Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here"

Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here follows the prog rockers on a quest to follow up their massively successful "Dark Side Of The Moon" album. Through vintage and current interviews the members explain how memories of founding member Syd Barrett, along with the theme of "absence," formed the core idea of what the album would eventually become.

The documentary is a tight 60 minutes, and whether you're a diehard or casual fan, Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here is an excellent way to learn more about this seminal band. It's also a fly-on-the-wall look at the actual process of making an album from conception to song-writing to album sleeve design. This documentary covers it all.

Bonus features includes an additional 25 minutes of interview footage that did not make the film's final cut. Among this footage are Waters' and Gilmour's individual acoustic performance of the title track.


Drumroll please... 10 out of 10 drumsticks

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Chop

Chop
Written by:  Adam Minarovich
Directed by: Trent Haaga
Starring: Billy Bakshi, Timothy Muskatell, Tanisha Mukherjee, Elina Madison, Mark Irvingson and Jeff Sisson

From the box:

Lance Reed, a seemingly innocent man, is forced by a psychotic stranger to confront his duplicitous past.  The mysterious stranger, seeking retribution for a past crime, forces Lance to reveal his inner most secrets by systematically removing his limbs.  As time runs out and Lance's limb count dwindles, he must recall what he's done to the stranger before he doesn't have a head to remember with.  Jam-packed with laughs, gore and some insane twists, Chop is the directorial debut of Deadgirl screenwriter and Troma veteran Trent Haaga.

I wasn't exactly expecting gold when I popped this one into the DVD player.  Not sure why exactly, I just didn't expect greatness.  Well, I didn't get greatness but I did get pretty goodness.

Chop is a funny horror comedy about a gruesome way to get revenge against someone who doesn't really remember what he did in the first place.  There's plenty of gore here for those who are into that and more laughs than I expected.

The acting is good and the direction was pretty great from first time director Trent Haaga, writer of Deadgirl.  There isn't much in the way of scares though with most of the horror coming from the gore but it was still a fun watch.

I didn't love it but it was much better than I expected it to be.  It's a clever flick equal parts gross and funny and another notch on Bloody Disgusting's belt.  I'm hoping they get behind a truly great horror film that I can spend paragraphs slathering with praise.  While Chop isn't that movie, it's a good step towards it.

I'm looking forward to the next, not only from those involved with Chop but from BD Selects as well.  Maybe something a little more cerebral a little less corn syrupy.

Chop is available now.

Chop

Pop Culture Beast Rating

6/10

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Insidious

Insidious
Written by: Leigh Whannell
Directed by:  James Wan
Starring:  Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Andrew Astor and Barbara Hershey

Special Features:  Horror 101: The Exclusive Seminar, On Set with Insidious, Insidious Entities

From the box:

From the makers of Paranormal Activity, Insidious is the terrifying story of a family who, shortly after moving, discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma.  Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not there house that was haunted.


When I first saw the trailer for Insidious I was excited.  It looked scary and was definitely aiming to be the scariest haunted house movie in quite some time.  Then I saw the dreaded PG13 and my heart sank.  How can they make a really scary horror movie and make it PG-13?  Precedent has been set that PG-13 horror is for the most part lame and is not effective.    In the past, it seems like the horror has to be reined in and to be perfectly honest, censored so that the studios can get their hands on teenager's allowances.

This is a business so I can't blame them for doing what they need to do to make money.  It's just sad that a genre I love is being watered down and turned into a shadow of what it could be.  Of course even the R-rated horror films aren't that great nowadays.

All that said, Insidious seems to be the exception.  I was genuinely surprised at how good it turned out to be.  There is no gore, which is fine with me, but the scares and some of the imagery is excellent not just for a PG13 horror but for Horror in general.

It's not without its flaws.  The ending is a little weak.  It seems like it was shocking for the sake of being shocking, and not even really successful at that.  It was a bit obvious to be honest.  There was a bit of silliness with a couple of the characters but I can forgive that.  Some comic relief is good to relieve some of the tension.

I can say with certainty that Insidious is the best film by far from Wan and Whannell.  It's much more well made than Saw which, aside from the ending, I hated.  Good enough in fact that I can forgive them for unleashing that franchise upon the world.

The acting is strong, especially from Rose Byrne who is great.  It's always great to see Lin Shaye in a nice role like this.  The adult cast is rounded out with notable turns from Patrick Wilson and Barbara Hershey.

The real treat of Insidious though is the truly chilling imagery.  The child drawings, the fire faced creature pointing at what he is after, and the creepy snap smile faces of some of the dead are just a few examples of the chill inducing shots you get with Insidious.  The filmmakers really did an admirable job delivering a scary film, one that had me jumping more than once and looking over my shoulder more than that.   They took some interested subject matter and wove it into a nice little chill fest.

Gore fans won't get what they are looking for here since there is barely a drop of blood dropped at all.  Fans of ghost stories and more ominous scares will be all over this one.

The special features are a little weak.  Nothing really to write home about but the film is fine on its own.  I'd be curious to see a director's cut to see just how intense they could have taken the movie but still definitely worth the price.

Insidious is available on DVD and Blu-ray now!

Insidious

Pop Culture Beast Rating

8/10

RAWR(for more)

Transformers: Headmasters - The Japanese Collection DVD Review

Transformers: Headmasters was a Japanese series that followed a subgroup of Transformers after the original Transformers TV series. This collection contains the first 13 of the 35 rare episodes in this series.

This whole series is extremely dated. The first episode states that all of this is happening in the year 2011. It made me laugh and took me out of the episode really.

Being a Japanese series I hoped there would be a English dubbed option on the DVD, however there wasn't such an option. The only setup option is to turn the subtitles on or off. The subtitles themselves are not great. The font is very small and hard to read against the the action in the background. Once in a while the subtitles would glitch out entirely and be completely unreadable.

The only special feature on this 4 disc set is an art gallery that is interesting to look at once. I thought there would maybe be some sort of feature on the history of the series or something.

Overall, I would only recommend this series for the hardcore Transformers fan. The dated look and problem ridden subtitles really hurt this DVD set.

I give Transformers: Headmasters - The Japanese Collection 3 out of 10 Decepticons.

RAWR(for more)

Complete Series DVD Review - 21 Jump Street and Hunter!

Hunter: The Complete Series

21 Jump Street: The Complete Series



I'll review these together because both sets have the same problems but I'll get to that in a second. For the money, you can't go wrong with either one.  Sure, they might have some 80s/90s dust on them but sit back and ignore the dates and you'll enjoy them just fine. 


Half the fun of these shows now is seeing all the guest stars, some of which are MAJOR Hollywood stars now.  It's pretty fun to see them in smaller guest roles at the beginning of their careers. 

As far as the content goes, both Hunter (a show I dearly remember watching as a kid, and still enjoy today) and 21 Jump Street are well worth your money.

Both shows have suffered from the Music Licensing fiasco.  Meaning the original music has been stripped and replaced with something else.  In the case of Hunter, an entire episode was affected as they had to pull out the performances of guest star Chaka Khan!  For purists, this could prove annoying.  It doesn't really matter in terms of story or anything but still it'd really be nice to see these shows presented as originally aired without having to go through this music changing nonsense.

The biggest issue, for me anyway, is the packaging.  The sets are contained in over-sized DVD cases and inside the DVDs are in paper envelopes and stacked.  They aren't really protected in anyway they're just stuck in there, barely held in place.  I guess this is a cost cutting measure but it comes of as extremely cheap to me.  We're talking 7 Seasons of DVDs (28 Discs) for Hunter just stacked inside a DVD case.  5 Seasons (18 episodes) for 21 Jump Street.  Surely there must have been a better way to do this?

There are also no special features to speak of.  Unless I missed them.

In the end, the price ($68.99 for seven seasons of Hunter is about $9.85 a season. $45.99 for 21 Jump Street is about 9.19 per season. )  and the content make up for the shoddy packaging and lack of supplements.  Really, the shows do speak for themselves and despite the age, they hold up pretty well.

Hunter: The Complete Series and 21 Jump Street: The Complete Series are available now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: FlashForward - The Complete Series

FlashForward is a very interesting animal. Mainly because of how the show rubber-banded creatively. The pilot was absolutely stunning.  I loved every moment of it.  The problem was that each episode after grew steadily worse and worse.  The show had some behind the scenes issues, some show runner shake ups but by the time that got sorted out, I was pretty much done.  I gave up after a few episodes.  The show went into hiatus and returned with stronger episodes and the show seemed to have righted itself (similar to V although V is a much better show).

Unfortunately, it was too late and the show was canceled despite its creative resurgence.

Honestly, none of the episodes come near to the greatness of the first episode.  The show quickly spirals and becomes a bit of a mess, even the better stronger last few episodes.

I can't really say this complete series set is worth a buy to be honest, especially at its current WAY too high price.  I mean the strength of the premiere episode does not carry through the entire series and unfortunately,  most of the episodes just aren't good enough to really warrant repeat viewings.

That said, the set does have some good special features.  Bloopers, featurettes, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes and more.  It's a nice collection of features for a canceled TV show.

As far as casts go, FlashForward is stacked pretty well.  Featuring alumni from film and TV (some Lost alumni to boot!) I just wish the material could have served them better, or at least more consistently. 

I think, given more time, FlashForward could truly have evolved into a great show.  Unfortunately, the hiccups and poor ratings made it one of those "what could/might have been" kinda shows.

I'm just glad I didn't get too involved.  I jsut hope the same thing doesn't happen with The Event which I am really looking forward to!

FlashForward: The Complete Series is available now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Bruno

Bruno
Written by: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Mazer, Jeff Schaffer, and Peter Baynham
Directed by: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen and Gustaf Hammarsten

Bonus features include Deleted, Extended and Alternate Scenes and Behind the Scenes revelations on how the various interviews were pulled off.

From the box:

Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Da Ali G Show and Talladega Nights) brings you the comedy that has started more conversations, generated more controversy and dared to go further than ever before!

As bruno travels the world in search of fame, everyone he encounters - celebrities, politicians, Hasidic Jews, terrorists and cage fighters - becomes a stepping-stone to stardom, with hilarious results!

So prepare yourself for nonstop laughs in the film Rolling Stone says should be "Numero Uno on your funnytime list!"

Sacha Baron Cohen's follow up to the hilarious Borat isn't quite as successful but it is still wildly funny and has just been released on DVD.

Click the Rawr! for the full review.


Bruno is an often times hilarious films that carries on the tradition of putting people in uncomfortable situations that Cohen seems to have perfected. The difference is that in this film, things don't feel quite as innocent or spontaneous.

What I mean to say is that Bruno feels too much like a movie. Part of the charm of Borat is that it never felt like we were watching a movie. It felt enough like a documentary to believe the situations we were seeing.

Bruno is held back by the attempt to weave some kind of a story through it rather than focus on what the strongest parts were, the character himself and the situations he created.

Still, Bruno is hilarious and despite the lack of complete believability, I still enjoyed the film. The film works best when Bruno is dealing with real people and exposing some of the darkness that still permeates through our cultures, most especially at the cage match, not too mention the stage moms which was jaw dropping.

When it works, Bruno is brilliant, but it isn't a complete success and when it misses (which admittedly isn't often) it is jarring.

The DVD release is full of deleted scenes, including the infamous scene featuring LaToya Jackson that was cut after the death of her brother. It's a nice collection of scenes and behind the scenes information.

I would have hoped for a director's cut of the rumored NC-17 version. Considering what made it into the theatrical cut, I can't imagine what would be left.

Crude humor, disturbing revelations, and full frontal nudity make up Bruno so if you can handle that, then check it out. It's not as sincere as Borat was but it still generates barrel laughs you probably haven't heard since well...Borat.

Bruno is available on DVD and Blu-ray now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review - Trick 'r Treat

http://astore.amazon.com/popculbea-20/detail/B002LMSWN2
Trick 'r Treat
Written and Directed by Michael Dougherty
Starring: Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Leslie Bibb, Tahmoh Penikett with Anna Paquin and Brian Cox

Special features: Trick ' R Treat Season's Greetings animated short with optional commentary.

From the box: A creepy, darkly comic celebration of the scariest night of the year from producer Bryan Singer (directed of X-Men and Superman Returns) and writer-director Michael Dougherty (co-scripter of X2 and Superman Returns). Trick 'r Treat takes the Creepshow/Tales from the Crypt approach to nefarious new depths with four interwoven tales set on Halloween night: a high school principal (Dylan Baker) moonlights as a vicious serial killer, the quest of a young virgin (Anna Paquin) for that special someone takes a gruesome turn; a group of teens carries out acruel prank with disastrous consequences; and a cantankerous old man (Brian Cox) battles a mischievous trick-or-treating demon.

Trick 'r Treat has been sitting on a shelf for a couple of years while Warners decided what to do with it. I guess they sometimes can't tell a good thing when they've seen it because Trick r' Treat happens to be one of the best horror films in years.

Click the Rawr! for the complete review.

It's a collection of shorts loosely tied together. Various characters popped up in different segments and everything takes place in the same town. It's got ghosts, demons, and other ghoulies fit for any horror fan. The result is a wickedly funny and creepy anthology with plenty of scares.

The acting is surprisingly strong including some great performances from Dylan Baker and Brian Cox, who happens to star in my favorite segment which features the little demon you see in the picture up top. That little guy actually shows up all over the place including a rather creepy animated short that serves as the DVD releases only special feature.

The DVD release is pretty bare bones unfortunately, at least the version I was sent. It only has the animated short Season's Greetings. Surely, Warner Brothers could have done more to support this release? Apparently not. It looks and sounds great and certainly stands on its own in terms of quality.

Trick 'r Treat makes for a great Halloween watch. In fact, I would recommend a double feature with next weeks brilliant Night of the Creeps release. That would make for a fantastic night of scares and laughs.

Trick 'r Treat is available now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD/Blu-ray Review: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

http://astore.amazon.com/popculbea-20/detail/B00267N3DQ

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Bonus Features:

DVD - Full Length Film, Audio Commentary by John Canemaker, All-New Digital Restoration with Enhanced Picture & Sound, Restored Original Theatrical Soundtrack, All-New Music Video - Performed by Sunny With A Chance 's Tiffany Thornton, Exclusive Sneak Peak at Walt Disney Pictures' The Princess And The Frog.

Blu-Ray - First Time Ever In High Definition 7.1 Sound, DisneyView - Expanded Viewing Experience, All-New Music Video, Disney Family Play - What Do You See (Decipher the Scrambled Image), Mirror, Mirror On The Wall (Which Princess Are You Most Like), Jewel Jumble (Test Your Matching Skills), Backstage Disney - Snow White Returns (Newly Discovered Storyboards. Was Walt planning a sequel?), Hyperion Studios (explore Walt's Original Studio), The One That Started It All (See how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies), Exclusive Sneak Peak of The Princess And The Frog, Classic Bonus Features including Dopey's Wild Mine Ride Game, "Heigh-Ho" Karaoke Sing-Along, Disney Through The Decades, and more.

Walt Disney's first animated film has finally arrived on Blu-ray. It's a features loaded set that conveniently includes a DVD and a Blu-ray for those who haven't made the jump yet.

You know the story and revisiting the classic film on Blu-ray is sure to be a huge draw.

Honestly, I never liked Snow White and unlike with Pinocchio, revisiting it didn't change my feelings on it. So, I'll not spend any time on the actual film itself but instead I'll tell you about the aspects of the set.

For me, I really didn't notice much of a difference between the Blu-ray and the DVD, at least in terms of picture quality. It looks nice, granted it doesn't fill the screen but you can have the option of black bars or a special matte that surrounds the picture, but it's not really anything to write home about. The sound on the other hand seems a lot crisper on the Blu-ray.

The special features are aplenty on the Blu-ray, not so much on the DVD, and anyone who is interested in the history of the film, and even of Disney itself, will get an eyeful here. There is everything from games to some rather interested newly discovered storyboards, music videos, and a sneak peak of The Princess and the Frog.

Snow White is of course a must have for any Disney fans out there. It is a much loved and much respected film that is presented extraordinarily well here. Personally, I'm not a fan of the movie so I was less than crazy about what I am seeing but for those who love the film, they may find themselves blown away.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is available on DVD and Blu-ray now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Observe and Report

Observe and Report
Written and Directed by: Jody Hill
Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Peña, Anna Faris, Dan Bakkedahl, Jesse Plemons, John Yuan, Matt Yuan, Celia Weston, Collette Wolfe, Randy Gambill, Alston Brown, Cody Midthunder, and Aziz Ansari

I really don't know how to begin this review. I should say something clever that will hook you in. Something that will make you click the Rawr and read the whole thing but I can't think of anything kind enough about this movie that might accomplish that.

Oh! I know.

Aziz Ansari is the best thing about this movie.

Click the Rawr! for the full review.



The second mall movie this year, following the phenomenal, if slightly mystifying, success of Paul Blart, was Observe and Report. I haven't seen its predecessor but if it's half as bad as Observe and Report than I fear for the movie going public.

Observe and Report is a dark, uncomfortable, unfunny mess of a film. Not even Seth Rogen, who I normally really enjoy, can salvage this movie.

The story is about an uber mall cop who is determined to catch a pervert who is flashing customers at his mall. He also wants to become a cop. More happens, including what has to be a date rape, but none of it is very funny at all. In fact, I barely did more than chuckle.

What was funny? Well like I said before, Aziz Ansari was funny, I can't say why though since he is on screen for about thirty seconds. I also found Michael Pena's lispy voice to be funny.

That's all.

I felt gross after watching it. There is nothing redeeming about this movie or its characters whatsoever. It is a spectacular failure.

Clearly, Warner Brothers doesn't have that much faith in it either. The DVD release has not one single extra, neither does the Blu-ray if I am not mistaken. You get the full screen and the wide screen version of the film and that is it. Not that any features would make this movie any better.

It's not that the acting is bad, because everyone turns in decent performances. It's just that the characters are so unlikeable. There isn't a single person to latch on to. They all seem like such horrible, weird people.

I'm not sure what else I can even say. The movie is bad. There are no special features. Warner couldn't be bothered to put a trailer on the DVD. I really cant even think of a reason why anyone should rent this movie, let alone buy it.

Only someone who is a Seth Rogen completest or someone with zero sense of comedy should buy this.

In case you care, Observe and Report is in stores now.

EDIT: In this review I stated that the blu-ray does not have any features. That is incorrect. There are several special features on the Blu-ray disc. The movie still sucks though.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Boot Camp

Boot Camp
Written by: Agatha Dominik and John Cox
Directed by: Christian Duguay
Starring: Mila Kunis, Gregory Smith and Peter Stormare

Boot Camp is a rather misleading film, indicated to be based on actual events, about kids sent to a rehabilitation camp in Fiji who are brainwashed and abused. The misleading part, at least from the marketing and the DVD art, is the fact that this film looks like a horror film. It's not at all. In fact, had this been shot as a horror film, or even done as a documentary, it would have been far more successful. Instead, it's a drama that focuses on a horrific situation that comes off a bit full of itself.

Click the Rawr! for the full review.



Boot Camp is not a terrible film by any means but it's not that great either. It certainly isn't worth it's current $25.99 price tag.

It plays more like a Movie-Of-The-Week with all the melodrama that comes with it. The story revolves around a young woman played by Mila Kunis who is acting out since her Father's death. One night, while she attempts to convince her boyfriend, played by Gregory Smith, to marry her and take her away from all of this, she is abducted by men from the rehabilitation program Advanced Serenity Achievement Program (ASAP) located in Fiji.

The film focuses on her for most of it while intermittently checking in with her boyfriend who is hatching a scheme to get himself committed to the same camp. This might be a minor spoiler but he does get sent to the same camp and later it's said that his parents sent him there because HE said it was the only thing that would help him. This kid had been nothing but a model kid his entire life, at least that's what it seems like, and suddenly he gets into a fight with a drug dealer, tells his parents to ship him off to a prison camp, and they do it. That seems more than a little far fetched.

For a camp on a tropical island, things look a bit washed out and dreary. I'm guessing this was a creative choice to signify how bad the camp is, as if we couldn't tell from the mass beatings, and rape. There is a point when our protagonists think they've achieved freedom where the sky is bright and clear and the ocean is crystal blue. The bright beauty of Fiji is muted whenever we're seeing things happening around the camp.

The performances are decent throughout. I wouldn't say anyone is bad but no one is particularly great either. There are no stand out performances or anything that really elevates this film beyond the mediocre.

The directing is decent but again noting to special here. The script is a little weak. Like I said before, this movie would have been much better if it were taken to the extreme and turned into a horror movie. Alternatively, it would have made for a brilliant documentary. We know these camps exist and that some truly heinous things take place so dramatizing them into a low-rent drama doesn't really do the subject any justice.

Boot Camp is just middle of the road. It's neither good nor bad enough to be memorable and barely peaks at mediocre. It sat on the shelves for quite awhile before being quietly released on DVD mainly because I don't think anyone know quite what to do with it.

As for the specific aspects of the DVD, well there isn't a special feature to speak of besides a trailer for another movie I can't even recall right now.

If you are interested you can check it out. Boot Camp is on DVD now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Gossip Girl Season 2

Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season
Starring: Blake Lively, Leighton Meeter, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Taylor Momsen, Ed Westwick, Jessica Szohr, with Kelly Rutherford and Matthew Steele

Special Features: 5th Avenue Meets Gossip Girl: Tour the Gossip Girl Crowd's Favorite Haunts, Faces Behind The Design: Creative Forces Behind the Show's Art and Fashion, Unaired Scenes, Chasing Darota webisodes, gag reel, Downloadable Audiobook of the Best-Selling Novel Gossip Girl: You Know You Love Me by Cecily von Ziegesar, read by Christina Ricci.

From the Box: It's senior year for our beloved Upper East Siders, and the drama is at an all-time high. Applying for college is only one small part of the story, as new romances (and not-so-new romances) bloom and fade, scandals erupt at every turn, and alliances shift even faster than Gossip Girl can send an update. Families and reputations are destroyed and made; so are fortunes. And even the strongest friendships are tested. In this sizzling 25-EPISODE, 7 -DISC SEASON TWO, you never know what's next for Serena, Blair, Dan, Nate, Jenny, Chuck, and Vanessa. Good thing Gossip Girl is always there to provide us with the latest, juiciest info! XOXO.

The CW's best show (since the demise of Veronica Mars and Aliens in America that is) continues to be Gossip Girl. It's more entertaining than it has any right to be. It's trashy, and depraved, and utterly addictive.

Season Two continues that tradition extremely well.

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It's Senior Year for the Gossip Girl gang, at least for most of them, and almost time for college. Some find out their dream school is out of reach while others realize it's just where they belong. It's a season of growth and tragedy of love and loss. Not to mention the sex and the scandals.

This Second Season of Gossip Girl has it all and it is a helluva lot of fun to watch.

Part of the charm of this show is its perfect cast. Each actor embodies their characters wholeheartedly and it gives us equal opportunity to love and hate every one of them. Season Two is full of chances for all of that. The season has a lot of twists and shocks and even some comedy thrown in (intentionally or otherwise).

If I had to make any complaints, it'd be that there wasn't enough of Eric Van der Woodsen, played by Connor Paolo. I feel like they don't know what to do with this character. Whether they're just afraid to fully explore his character or they just don't want to, I don't know. He just feels wasted to me. There is plenty of opportunity for smart and inspiring story lines revolving around this character and they're just not doing it.

Besides that, most of the other characters get ample screen time. The stories stay strong this season and never feel tired or cliched. In fact, I find myself consistently surprised at just how smart the writing is. A nighttime teenage soap shouldn't be as good as Gossip Girl is.

The Season Two set features all twenty-five episodes along with a plethora of features including featurettes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and more. It's a nice collection for fans of the show to check out. I don't know how interested a casual watcher would be but it's definitely packed for loyal viewers.

All in all, Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season continues to be an entertaining and deplorable show to watch packed full of sex, drama, great characters, and underage drinking.

I can't get enough of it.

Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season is available on DVD now.

Season Three premieres September 14 on The CW.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Green Lantern - First Flight

Green Lantern: First Flight
Written by: Alan Burnett
Directed by: Lauren Montgomery
Featuring the voices of: Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen, John Larroquette, Kurtwood Smith, Larry Drake, William Schallert, Malachi Throne, Olivia d'Abo, Richard Green, and Juliet Landau

Special Features: Disc One - Exclusive Sneak Peak at DC Universe's upcoming Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Behind the scenes of Blackest Night, The Epic DC Comics Super Hero Event in Which the Dead Rise, Explore three other DC Universe Animated Movies. Disc Two - Behind the Story with Geoff Johns: The New York Times Best-Selling Writer discusses the Mythology of the Green Lantern, Duck Dodgers Series Episode The Green Loontern, Green Lantern Corps Character Profiles of Sinestro and the Guardians of the Universe, Bruce Timm Presents 2 Bonus Cartoons.

As far as these latest DC Universe animated films go Green Lantern: First Flight comes in at number two. It's certainly better than Superman: Doomsday and Batman: Gotham Knight but it's not quite as good as Wonder Woman.

I had high hopes for this being a recent Green Lantern addict. I was certain this movie was going to be fantastic.

Turns out, it's only a decent shot at what could have been gold.

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First Flight is basically an origin story mixed with some recent story points from the comics. It comes across a bit rushed though. It seems like it was made to be a quick rapid fire film to launch a potential franchise, which I guess is fine. I just wish they did a better job of it.

Geoff Johns is a busy guy but why on earth didn't he write this movie? It seems like he has restored Green Lantern to one of the best books on the shelves but also one of the best characters. I feel like this movie would have been on an entirely different level had he been the one behind the script. Instead, it seems a bit lazy.

The animation is great. I am really enjoying the style they are using for these movies. They're visually interesting with some great character designs.

One thing that shocked me is how violent this one is. The fight scenes are just brutal. Probably less so that what we saw in Wonder Woman, but there is one scene in particular where I audibly reacted to a characters demise. PG-13 indeed!

The voice acting is okay for the most part. It's nothing to write home about to be honest. I will say that I didn't recognize a lot of the bigger names with the exception of Kurtwood Smith who has a rather recognizable voice. That's probably a good thing. I'd rather not be thinking of the actor voicing these characters over the film.

The disc is loaded with special features, which I detailed previously. The most interesting are Geoff John's discussing the Mythology of Green Lantern and the look at Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

Bottom line is this: Green Lantern: First Flight is a decent animated film. It has some great fights, great action, and is a pretty fun watch. I really wanted more though. I wanted to hear more about will power and learn that Hal Jordan has a tremendous amount of it. Fans of the character should check it out. It's definitely worth the time to watch it even if it's not perfect.

Green Lantern: First Flight is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: The State

The State: The Complete Series
Starring: Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Robert Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, and David Wain

They are widely acclaimed and extremely loved by their dedicated fans. The State is also regarded as one of the best and funniest shows in MTV's history. That may be the case, I'm sure it certainly was in the 90's.

I should point out that I have never seen The State before, or if I had I hold absolutely no memory of it. So it is with fresh eyes that I watched this much loved cult show and found myself completely underwhelmed.

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It's not for lack of talent. The cast is great and it's clear that their fans remain loyal judging from the success of Reno 911 (which I enjoy) and the new show Michael and Michael Have Issues (which I also enjoy). I'm not sure I can even put my finger on why I didn't love this show. I enjoyed some sketches but for the most part I just wasn't that into it.

I do consider myself a fan of most of the people involved but for some reason The State just didn't click for me. It seems too nineties and I feel like the laughs just aren't there for someone who's watching the show for the first time in 2009.

Had I watched The State in the mid nineties and loved it like so many people do, I'd probably be singing an entirely different tune. But since that isn't the case, I find myself watching a show that is probably one of the single most eagerly anticipated DVD releases (at least in terms of comedies) and not really enjoying it.

That said, This DVD release is definitely for the fans. It's as comprehensive a set as you'll ever get. The set includes the complete series on four discs, plus a fifth disc full of bonus features including the Pilot Episode, over 90 minutes of Unaired Sketches, with commentary, special appearances, promos, and outtakes. The other four discs include commentaries featuring the entire cast, interviews, and outtakes.

This is a set the fans have been begging for for years and for them, it's a great collection and is certainly a must have.

For those new to the show, it's worth a watch to see the origins of some truly hilarious people. You might love the show.

I am certainly in the minority in my opinion and I can see how this show was hilarious back in its hey day. For me, in 2009, it just doesn't impress me.

The State is available on DVD now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Pushing Daisies - Season 2

Now available on DVD is the brilliant and gone to soon, Pushing Daisies.

By the way, if you are looking for spoilers, you won't find them here. I won't be discussing the story line at all besides the basics.

The story of a pie maker who can raise the dead with one touch continues in the second season and the show is just as charming and magical as the first season. I am a little mad that I missed this show when it first aired. But at the same time, I was able to see it all at once without having to wait a week between episodes, which would have been terribly difficult.

I don't think there is a show on television that has as much soul as this one did. It's emotional, funny, quirky, touching, dramatic, and like I said before: Magical.

ABC had an amazing show here and they let it go way too soon. It's just another testament to the Television environment. Nothing is allowed to grow anymore. It's sad.

The DVD set features the last 13 episodes of the show created by the brilliant Bryan Fuller (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me) as well as a few special features. We have featurettes on the music of the show, production challenges, visual effects, the inner secrets of the show.

Overall, it's a decent set. The show was yanked from the air far too early and I am really sad to see this story end.

I could really go for more of Ned and Chuck's story. Pushing Daisies was a rare show indeed. An imaginative dream of a creation with amazing actors and beautiful stories and while the finale seems a tad rushed, it still gives us a decent end to a story that should go on for years.

This is a perfect show that you need to see from the beginning so pick up the special set of both season one and two of Pushing Daisies.

Pushing Daises Season 2 is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.

RAWR(for more)

G.I. Joe Video Clips!

Check out some video clips from the recent release of G.I. Joe Season 1.1! Get a taste of what you'll be seeing when you purchase the DVD set. Also, in case you missed it, here is our review of the set from yesterday.

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RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: GI JOE - Season 1.1

If you grew up in the eighties then there is no doubt that cartoons were a huge part of your life. Okay, that might not be true for everyone, but I can tell you for sure it was certainly true for me. And for me, there was nothing better than G.I. Joe. Not Transformers, not Scooby Doo (although he would be a close second). It was always G.I. Joe. I had the toys and I watched the cartoon constantly.

One of my favorite things to do is revisit these movies and shows I loved as a kid. DVD has provided such a great chance to do this, especially now, with so many great shows finally coming to DVD.

G.I. Joe might be one of the most anticipated, for me anyway.

Click the Rawr! for the full review.




G.I. Joe is a classic cartoon. Its influence was felt by countless kids growing up in the eighties both from the show and the toys.

Growing up, I was at Toys R Us as much as possible to get my hands on these action figures. They fueled my imagination daily and before long I was creating my own episodes featuring characters from any number of other shows. I think this was the precursor to my writing. I was developing TV before I knew that was a real job!

Anyway, it was with this dedication to the product that I sat and watched the cartoon I hadn't watched since I was a kid. I was pleasantly surprised. Sure it's a bit cheesy at times, (what cartoon isn't?) but the stories seem surprisingly layered for a action cartoon.

The DVD set features the first 22 episodes of the shows inaugural season, including multiple episode arcs, which I think may have been a first for cartoons.

Bonus features include the PSA's, Looking Back with Writer Ron Friedman, Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials, G.I. Joe's Original 1963 Toy Fair Presentation, and a printable Script for the "Jungle Trap" episode.

It's a pretty nice set for fans who want to go back and relive the show. Does it entirely hold up? No, it has some pretty atrocious dialogue but it is great to see how a show I grew to love started. I don't remember most of these episodes so it was a bit like watching it for the first time.

Like I said, the dialogue is a little iffy but the stories are still pretty great. It's especially going to be interesting to see how exactly the characters evolve as the seasons progress so I am definitely looking forward to future releases. Those of you with serious spare change can get a head start and pick up the Complete Series set.

I would say those of you looking for a blast from the past with some good old fashion action adventure or back to some glory days of animation, certainly pick up this set.

G.I. Joe: Season 1.1 is available now.

RAWR(for more)