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

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Contest: Win Here's Lucy - The Complete Series!

Lucille Ball returns to television with her two children in the classic TV series Here's Lucy and now you can win a copy of the set for yourself thanks to our friends at MPI Media Group.

Want to win?  It's simple.

Send an email to contest@popculturebeast.com and include your favorite Lucy moment.  We'll pick a winner at random and notify them on Friday, April 11!

Don't want to take a chance at the contest?  You can get the set NOW right here.

Good luck!!

HERE'S LUCY: THE COMPLETE SERIES

The Massive Box Set Containing Every Episode of the Classic Lucille Ball Sitcom Arrives on DVD From MPI on March 25, 2014

"Like no one before or since, she seemed a part of the family. ... It is hard to imagine television without her."That's how PBS' "American Masters: Lucille Ball - Finding Lucy" summed up television's greatest comedienne. And now, for the first time, the entire six-season run of Ball's top-rated sitcom arrives on DVD in HERE'S LUCY: THE COMPLETE SERIES. The 24-disc box set, filled with extras, will be released by MPI Home Video on March 25, 2014, with an SRP of $159.98.

A top 10 hit throughout its 1968-1974 run, HERE'S LUCY was the I Love Lucy star's fourth sitcom for CBS, and her first to air in color for its entire duration. It received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

The legendary queen of television comedy is joined by her real-life children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, her co-star from the earlier Lucy Show. Ball plays Lucille Carter, widowed mother of teenagers Kim and Craig. Lucy works for her brother-in-law Harry (Gordon), who owns Carter's Unique Employment Agency, leading Lucy into endless predicaments and hilarious hijinks. 

Ball was such a huge star that she could get other top Hollywood figures as guest stars on her series, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Andy Griffith, Joan Rivers, Danny Thomas, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Frankie Avalon, Eddie Albert, Milton Berle, Chuck Connors, Ed McMahon, Don Knotts, Donny Osmond, Eva Gabor, Joe Namath, Petula Clark, Ricardo Montalban, Elsa Lanchester and many more. 

HERE'S LUCY: THE COMPLETE SERIES gathers all 144 uncut and digitally remastered episodes together for the first time and features a wealth of special features. They include: episode introductions; featurettes; "Let's Talk to Lucy" lost interviews; special TV appearances and interviews; "Treasures From Lucy's Vault"; special U.S. savings bond episode and public service film; slide shows; series production files; original CBS-TV network and syndication promos, and original sponsor billboards.

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Quite Possibly The Best DVD News EVER

Monsters is coming to DVD!  

EOne is releasing one of my absolute favorite shows on DVD in a 9 Disc complete series set.

If you don't remember this was a Tales From the Darkside style anthology show that opened with the monster family getting ready to watch a TV show.

This show is one of the biggest reasons I'm a horror fan.  I loved it and devoured it every chance I got growing up.

The set releases on March 9 (although amazon says 2/25).  I cannot wait to get my hands on it.  I'm pretty much jumping for joy right now for reals.

Click the RAWR for full details!

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DVD Review: All Hallows Eve

I'm not gonna lie, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder when it comes to horror movies that appear to go straight to video.  I grew up during a time where this meant your movie was terrible and in a lot of cases this is still true.  The thing is that today is a rapidly evolving world in terms of film and film distribution so have a movie release on DVD and not have a big (or any) theatrical release is not necessarily an indication of the quality of the movie.  Look at Curse of Chucky for a prime example, which I think went direct to DVD more as a way to get the Chucky Collection box set to sell more copies rather than as a determiner of its quality.  It's great btw.

So it was not without a bit of trepidation that I sat down to watch All Hallows' Eve, an anthology/narrative hybrid about a babysitter and her two charges watching an unmarked VHS tape.  The tape contains three stories all featuring a maniacal clown, amongst other things, doing all manner of horrific things to various people.

I had seen the trailer for this one and I found myself interested in seeing it, and after watching it, I am pleased to say it's damn good.  I watch a lot of horror movies and it takes a lot for me to get creeped out.  I'm not talking jump scenes, I am talking genuine creeps.  All Hallows' Eve delivers the good old fashioned under your skin back of your neck creeps.  The kind you just don't get anymore.

Heavy on gore and scares, this film delivers something for pretty much any horror fan.  When I finished watching it, I'll be honest, I was hesitant to turn the lights off.  I had no idea what manner of demon or monster would show up once the light was gone.

That is exactly the way you should feel after a good horror movie, the need to check your locks and then get up out of bed to check them again.  All Hallows' Eve left me with that feeling.

This is definitely a fun flick to watch with friends and one that you can enjoy scaring yourself with even if you're all alone.  Don't let the cover fool you.  This movie is about so much more than a clown.  It's really rather multilayered in terms of its scares and what kind of monstrosities you experience.

I'm not going to spoil anything for you just do yourself a favor and check it out.  It's a fun little flick that does prove that releasing on DVD does not have to be a indicator of a bad movie.  Not by any stretch.  I, for one, can't wait for a sequel.

All Hallows's Eve is available now.

All Hallows' Eve

9/10 Cursed VHS Tapes

RAWR(for more)

WIN IT: China Beach - The Complete Series

China Beach Deluxe Complete Series Set from Time Life!

At long last, one of TV's most requested shows is coming to DVD in a gorgeous deluxe complete series set.

Time Life is releasing China Beach: The Complete Series just in time for the show's 25th anniversary and right here you have your chance to win your very own copy!

This is an ONLINE EXCLUSIVE 21-disc set that features the following:

Online Exclusive Collection includes:

·         21 DVDs in deluxe collector’s packaging featuring metallic artwork and removable dog tags, along with a 36-page collector’s book, “Tales From the Five & Dime” and liner notes penned by Dana Delany, Robert Picardo and series creators John Sacret Young and William Broyles

·         Ten hours of specially-created bonus material, including interviews, audio commentaries, featurettes and more

·         Reunion footage and featurettes from the recent December 2012 China Beach Reunion held in Los Angeles. Featurettes include:  “China Beach Memories – Tales from the 25th Anniversary Reunion,”  “Castles Made of Sand – The Lasting Impact of China Beach,” “Life’s A Beach -- A Look at the Real China Beach” and “Hit The Beach -- How It All Began.”

·         New, in-depth interviews with stars Dana Delany, Marg Helgenberger, Robert Picardo, Brian Wimmer, Jeff Kober, Nancy Giles, Troy Evans, Michael Boatman, Chloe Webb and Concetta Tomei, along with John Wells and creators John Sacret Young and William Broyles Jr.

·         Three roundtable discussions with cast and crew: “The Legacy of China Beach”, a roundtable discussion with series creator John Sacret Young, John Wells, Lydia Woodward, and Mimi Leder; “China Beach and the Vietnam War”, a roundtable discussion with John Sacret Young, Carol Flint, and Toni Graphia, and “China Beach Origins” a roundtable discussion, with John Sacret Young, Bill Broyles, Jr., Rod Holcomb and John Levey

·         Four Audio commentaries by a combination of Dana Delany, John Sacret Young , writers Lydia Woodward and Carol Flint and director Rob Holcomb on the episodes: “Pilot Episode,” “Vets,” “Souvenirs” and “Hello/Goodbye”

·         Rare, Behind-the-Scenes footage shot by John Sacret Young and Robert Picardo from the final China Beach episode

·         Season Three Gag Reel

You totally want to win this right?  Well don't worry we'll make this an easy one.

Send your NAME and ADDRESS to contest@popculturebeast.com subject BEACH (North American readers only. Sorry overseas!).

We will pick a winner at random on April 15 so the winner can have a little bit of good news on Tax Day.  Get your entries in ASAP!

In the meantime, wet your whistle with these clips from the set!

Special thanks to Time Life for allowing us the chance to share this set with you guys!

China Beach Cast Reunion Interviews – Dana Delany, Marg Helgenberger, Robert Picardo, Michael Boatman, Chloe Webb and producer John Wells discuss the release of China Beach on DVD (5:36)


Dana Delany’s character introduction – John Sacret Young and casting director John Levey speak about the casting of Dana as Captain Nurse Colleen McMurphy (:29)


Actors reflect on China Beach – Dana Delany and Marg Hegenberger speak about their roles (:42)


Dana Delany/Clip 1 – Speaks about the role that launched her career (:36)



GOOD LUCK!

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Mad Men Season 5 DVD Review

After a long hiatus, Mad Men finally returned this past year with the highly anticipated Season 5. If you missed this season, you're in luck because the DVD is out now!

All 13 episodes are included on this 4 disc set. I have to say, that after the 17 month hiatus, I expected a better crop of episodes. The season is good, but it's not the best one by any means.

The special features on this season are plentiful, but have little to do with the show:

-Mad Men Say the Darndest Things: A look back at the greatest one-liners of the show.
-What Shall I Love if Not the Enigma?: A look into the life and artwork of Giorgio de Chirico, the artist behind the season 5 poster
-The Party of the Century: A look into Truman Capote's infamous Black & White Masquerade Ball
-Scoring Mad Men: Inside a Session
-The Uniform Time Act of 1966: A look at the history of Daylight Savings Time
-Newsweek Magazine Digital Gallery: A selection of 1966 Newsweek covers from around the world.
-Episode Commentaries

I would rather see some "Making of" or "Anatomy of a scene" featurettes instead of the ones that seem to belong on a History Channel DVD set. It's almost like they were grabbing anything to try and fill space.

This is a must have for anyone who loves the show and has the other 4 seasons on DVD. If you're looking to just watch the episodes you missed (Dish customers), I'd suggest just renting the season.

Mad Men Season 5 DVD is a 6 out of 10 Pitches!

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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)

Contest: Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

Morgan Spurlock's brilliant Comic-Con documentary, Comic-Con IV: A Fan's Hope, recently became available on Hulu for free!

The documentary is really fun and captures the essence of Comic-Con. Check it out at the link below:

Watch Comic-Con IV: A Fan's Hope on Hulu

In addition, the folks at NECA/Wizkids have been gracious to let us give away a copy of Comic-Con IV: A Fan's Hope... but wait there's more!

This is an exclusive edition of the DVD that comes with 2 mini-figures, Stan Lee and Harry Knowles!

How do you enter this contest? It's easy! Go to the Hulu link above and watch the documentary. Then post a comment on both this site AND Hulu about your favorite scene in the film and tell me about your Geekiest moments (whether at Comic-Con, another convention, or just in general)!

I'll pick the winner next week! Good luck everyone!

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DVD Round-up: 3 BBC Titles

Three great and award nominated titles are now available on DVD and are definitely worth your change.

The first is the Idris Alba starrer Luther 2, a gritty psychological crime drama.  Packed with great story moody atmosphere and a star making performance from Alba, Luther 2 is can't miss television.  It's really a rather dark show with some heavy subject matter and a wonderfully flawed character.

I really can't understand why Idris Alba wasn't cast as Alex Cross in the new films.  He's really a brilliant actor just waiting to inherit Denzel Washington's throne.  The guy is the whole package.

Luther also boasts some great writing.  I really love the stories and the world they've created, especially Luther himself.  I really can't wait for Luther 3.

Next up is the great series The Hour which focuses on a news show launching in 1956.  Before you start thinking Mad Men, don't.  The Hour is more tense and less brooding than Mad Men.  Don't let the subject matter fool you.  There is a lot to be had here than just a show about a news room.  There are some pretty excellent twists and turns here.

Richly plotted and tense, The Hour makes for a wonderful time.    The writing is rich with plot and smart dialogue and gives plenty for its marvelous cast to work with.  It's just another example of brilliant storytelling coming from the UK.

Lastly, The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher.

I never knew she was this fascinating and this show makes me want to see The Iron Lady even more.  Featuring three riveting performances from Andrea Riseborough, Patricia Hodge and Lindsay Duncan, Rise and Fall is a fascinating look into the life of an amazing woman.  It delves deep into the workings of British government and gives us a wonderful look at a whole different world of politics.

I really found myself riveted from beginning to end and driven to learn more about this woman.   I can't say how historically accurate the information here is but it was presented in a way that kept me interested.  To be honest, I kinda dreaded having to watch this.  I really didn't have any interest for some reason.  I am pleased to say by the end I was extremely glad I had watched.

I'm looking forward to comparing the three women from this production to Meryl Streep's performance in The Iron Lady when it opens!

BBC continues to put out simply brilliant television and these three titles are prime examples of that.

Luther 2, The Hour and The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher are all available now on DVD.

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DVD News: Ally McBeal!

David E. Kelly's brilliant show Ally McBeal is finally coming to DVD fully intact with all the original music! This was one of my favorite shows and I am extremely excited to finally get to relive the show.

Fox is doing something interesting with this release. They are releasing Season One AND The Complete Series set on the same date: October 6!

Click the Rawr! for a look at the Complete Series set!



You can preorder The Complete Series now for a great price of $129.99 or Season One for $25.99 over at Amazon. Totally worth it!

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Up coming to DVD and Blu-ray

Disney/Pixar's latest brilliant release, Up, arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on November 10!

Check out these features:

• Commentary by director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson.

• Dug’s Special Mission – An all new original short film that follows the
misadventures of Dug as he attempts to complete his “special mission.” The
short is directed by Up Story Supervisor, Ronnie Del Carmen.

• The Many Endings of Muntz – Many ideas were hatched about how to dispose
of the film’s arch villain, Muntz, and now viewers can see the many alternate
endings proposed during story development.

• Partly Cloudy –The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up.
Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the
babies? The answer lies up in the stratosphere where the cloud Gus is a master
at creating “dangerous” babies, which prove to be more than a handful for his
loval delivery stork Peck. Directed by Pixar story artist, animator and voice actor
Peter Sohn.

• Adventure is Out There – This action-packed documentary tells the story of the
filmmakers’ own trek to the tepuis mountains of South America to research the
design and story of the film.

And, only on Blu-ray Hi-Def, hours of features, and behind-the scenes bonus features,
including:

• Cine-Explore – A visual montage of concept art, clips and documentary
coverage that illustrates the directors’ commentary.

• Geriatric Hero – A character study of Carl, from research to realization including
art and design, rigging, animation and story. It focuses on the issues of aging,
“simplexity”, shape-language and compelling character arcs.

• Canine Companions – For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies
come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs.

• Russell: Wilderness Explorer – A character study of Russell from inspiration
and design to finding the character arc and authentic voice for this wilderness
ranger.

• Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin – Find out how avian research and
development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 13-foot tall iridescent bird to life.

• Homemakers of Pixar – Carl and Ellie’s house is an important “character” in the
film. Fans follow the development of the house from story to art to its ultimate
realization in the computer.

• Balloons and Flight – Carl’s house and Muntz's dirigible presented the
filmmakers with two different problems—how could they make a physical
impossibility possible? And, in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a
fallen giant and let it soar?

• Composing for Characters – Composer Michael Giacchino returns to score his
third Disney•Pixar feature film. See how the Up filmmakers collaborated with
Giacchino to create the memorable score and compelling musical themes.

• Married Life – The original story concept that became the powerful “Married Life”
scene, showing Carl and Ellie’s love story.

• Global Guardian Badge Game – Players try to locate countries, states and
capitals around the globe in a multi-layered BD-Exclusive geography game
enhanced by BD-Live.

Can't wait!

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Movie Review: Johnny Got His Gun

Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun is something of a strange film. The movies inspiration was a novel also written by Trumbo, who not only did the screenplay adaptation but directed the film (before this was commonplace with movies like Sin City, Persepolis, Doubt and Hedwig and the Angry Inch). Johnny Got His Gun’s claim to fame up until the present has been as a result of its use as the inspiration for and used in Metallica’s “One” and because of Trumbo’s blacklisting along with the rest of the Hollywood Ten. The novel was written after WWI, shortly before WWII, to be an indicting anti-war piece, but apparently it didn’t really find an audience until the Vietnam Era; it was at this same time that it was adapted for the screen. Now, amid strife in the Middle East, it has, for the first time, been released on DVD; the film obviously has a very political context and connotation, completely separate from its content. Trumbo’s film has moments of brilliance, and is a scathing look at war, but the film does have some major shortcomings.

Click the Rawr! for the full review.

The hero of the film is Joe Bonham (Timothy Bottoms), a young American soldier who goes to fight in WWI, glad to fulfill his “patriotic duty,” completely unconcerned with the possible negative repercussions. Of course, as is always the case with an anti-war story, Joe realizes the error of his ways after it is too late; Joe is left crippled, his arms and legs have been blown off or amputated, he can’t see, can’t speak, can’t hear. As Joe lies, helpless in his hospital bed, the audience is given a glimpse of the completely mentally astute person that resides within this shell of his former self; through voice-over and flashback/dream/nightmare sequences (which are shot in color, presumably for differentiation) the audience is shown what got Joe to where he is, all that he has lost in the process, and the humanity and perseverance of the human spirit. Eventually Joe begins to adapt to his new way of life (figuring out a system to count days, realizing that he can feel the vibrations that are caused when somebody else is in his hospital room with him), and the biggest breakthrough comes when he learns that he can tap his head against his pillow to communicate with others through Morse code.

During the opening credits of the film, so as to set the tone of the political nature of what is to come, documentary footage is used to great avail. Stark black and white photography of the Politicians that caused the war is used however, because of the use of this footage at the beginning rather than the end of the film, the ironic and wry tone that feels as though it was strived for is all but lost. Had this footage been used at the end of the film (or, perhaps, with a second viewing) a heartbreaking emotion could have been achieved as we saw those responsible for Joe’s plight, however with the footage coming at the beginning of the film it really just comes off as being an ambitiously brief history lesson.

Throughout the film the question of reality is often brought up. The question of whether Joe’s visions are flashbacks, or memories, or nightmares is brought up more than once. This is heightened by the use of color film vs. black & white used. All of the “unreal” scenes are shot in color; all of the “real” scenes (those of Joe in the hospital) are shot in black and white. The use of both color and black & white photography, apart from the obvious benefit of making the “real” and “unreal” scenes easily distinguishable, is used to give the horror of what Joe is going through more of a pertinent feeling. Also various character have their own commentaries of their interpretation of what is and is not real; characters tell Joe “God is reality” and other similarly allegorical messages to the point that none of these questions of reality are ever really as interesting as the question posed as the movie overall of what reality is or isn’t.

Johnny Got His Gun as a novel or as a film has a distinct and undeniable anti-war message. The nature of a war (or anti-war) film being what it is, they are inherently, necessarily political; in other words it is impossible to have a politically neutral war film. This makes Johnny Got His Gun suffer the same problem that every political film suffers, and that is that it is hard to like the movie if you dislike the politics and vice versa.

The performances of the film struck me as being unusually weak. Most of the performances have the dated, antiquated feel that many films do 38 years later after their initial release. However this film does have one particularly great performance, that of Donald Sutherland as Christ. He makes only two appearances in the film, but he completely steals the movie whenever he comes on; his presentation of Jesus is that of a deeply thoughtful, less preachy religious figure. More significant is that many of the characters including (two time Oscar winner) Jason Robards as Joe’s Father and Donald Sutherland’s Christ are resigned to a scene or two; they provide a welcome escape from the monotony of the rest of the film, however they are extremely underutilized. Additionally Timothy Bottoms has the difficult task of having most of his performance hid underneath the mask that he wears and while being stuck to his hospital bed.

Also, being that the film comes from a novel, it suffers the challenge of having to translate Joe’s inner-monologue onto the screen. Trumbo chose to do this through voice over, a reasonable choice, however when much of the voice over is about Joe’s disabilities it comes off as over-the-top, laughable nonsense.

Johnny Got His Gun left me with unusually strong mixed feelings. I really wanted to like the movie, I tried to, and I am a fan of the novel. Is it possible to like many of the disparate elements of a film, and not like the overall result? If that is possible, it is the case with this movie. The writing is not terribly strong, but the ideas are present and (per my hypothesis about political movies) relevant. Performances are as good as they can be with the writing being as weak as it is. Johnny Got His Gun is probably as good a movie as possible considering that the plot is about a person trapped in their own body and mind (when considering the difference in era, it is comparable to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which touches largely on similar themes), however in the greater scheme of things it is mediocre at best.

RAWR(for more)

Dollhouse - Epitaph One clip

Check out this clip from the much discussed un-aired episode from Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. The episode, "Epitaph One," is available exclusively on the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release of the shows First Season.

Dollhouse arrives on DVD/Blu-ray on July 28.

Fans heading to Comic-Con this year can preorder a special limited edition set of the show for pick up at the convention. The set includes a letter from Joss himself.

Dollhouse's second season will begin on Fox on Septeber 25.

RAWR(for more)

Daria Coming To DVD!!!

YES!

Source

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A peak at the Battlestar Galactica Complete Series set.

WANT.

Thanks to @TheWeeklyGeek for pointing it out.

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Wonder Woman Clip!

Check out this clip from the upcoming DVD/BluRay release of Wonder Woman on March 3, 2009. That's Tuesday in case you wondered.

In the meantime, check out our review HERE and visit www.wonderwomanmovie.com!

RAWR(for more)

BluRay/DVD Review: Friday the 13th 1-3

Friday the 13th is now available on BluRay in gorgeous 1080p and that might not necessarily be a good thing. The biggest highlight here is that the film has been released uncut. That means that about 10 seconds or so of footage has been restored to the film. Yeah, 10 seconds. For the most part the film looks nice. There is still some grain and I noticed a few pops but over all the picture was pretty clean. This does not help the make up effects at all. This is especially true in the famous Kevin Bacon death scene. You can clearly see where the makeup ends. It's a completely different color than his face. I never noticed this on the old DVDs but it is blatant on the BluRay.

The movie is just as I remembered it, I'm not a fanatic of these movies so I really couldn't tell you where the gore was restored to. It seems kind of worthless when you can see the make up on the kill spots though. The acting is passable the movie is still fun to watch though by now its scare factor is significantly less than in years past.

The BluRay is loaded with special features some great, some kinda worthless. The good stuff is the interviews with Sean Cunningham, Victor Miller (he actually states Sean wanted a Halloween ripoff), and Tom Savini. There is also a commentary track with Sean and some cast and crew, trailer, secrets to the gore of the film, most of which are presented in HD.

The bad is this Lost Tales of Camp Blood. I don't understand the point of it. It's just a short film of some guy killing two people. Was this some contest I was not aware of? It's not even Jason doing the killing. Utterly pointless.

Is the BluRay worth buying? Honestly, probably not. The clarity takes away from the make up effects and the special features aren't special enough to warrant spending the extra money. If you are a die hard Jason fan then yes, pick this up. Otherwise, you're fine sticking with the DVD version.

Friday the 13th Part 2 is not on BluRay but has been remastered in HiDef with a new 5.1 audio mix and new special features. This time we get Inside "Crystal Lake Memories", Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions, Jason Forever, and the trailer. Oh and another Lost Tales from Camp Blood which I didn't even watch. I had enough with part one.

Friday 2 brings us the bag headed Jason Vorhees on a rampage avenging his drowning and the beheading of his mother.

It's basically the same movie as part one. Except it's Jason this time running around with a pillowcase over his head. Still though, it is enjoyable. Retro glasses will serve these films well because if you're seeing them for the first time I really don't think you'll appreciate them.

Friday the 13th Part Two 2 is not uncut so the only bonus here is the remastered picture, which looks great, and the 5.1 sound which sounds well...great.

I didn't notice any of the make up issues that I saw with the first one so that's a bonus.

Friday the 13th Part 3, 3-D. I was extremely interested in this. I had never seen this film in 3-D before and was itching to watch it. Unfortunately, I got a splitting headache five minutes into the movie. When the 3-D kicked in it felt like someone was trying to scoop out my eyes while hammering a nail into my temples. Sounds like something right out of the movie. That put an end to my 3-D adventures with Jason.

That said, switching over to the standard version proved a much more pleasant experience. Not that pleasant though, this movie is a stinker. It's the same as the first two. More kids in the woods getting high, having sex, and getting eviscerated. This is an important film in the franchise only because it's where Jason obtains his iconic hockey mask.

I think I might have watched these movies too close together because I noticed that A they're almost exactly the same movies and B part three reused some kills in part one, most notably the Kevin Bacon scene. The only difference was that it was a hammock in part 3 and not a bed that the arrow was shoved through.

The print on this must have been a disaster because even with remastering there was some serious imperfections in the picture. I don't know if they just did a rush job on this or they just couldn't clean the film. It sort of gives it that retro feel though but still its noticeable when you see a brown sheen come over one of the scenes.

Friday 3 is devoid of special features outside of the unwatchable (at least for me) 3-D version and a trailer.

Are these new versions necessary? Absolutely not. The DVD artwork is gaudy and a giant step down from the artwork on the original releases. It would be worth while if Paramount continues to release the films uncut as the fans have been demanding for years. I am not aware of any plans to continue with the series at this point but I hope they do.

Why stop with the first three?

I also noticed that the only movie of the first three that takes place at Crystal Lake is part 1. The rest are set in areas nearby. I never realized that before.

Anyway, Jason fans are sure to enjoy revisiting these films before seeing the remake that hits theaters next week. I can't really justify the double dip considering part one is the only one presented as Uncut. We'll see what happens with the next ones. I'm curious if they will return Part 7 to its uncut glory.

Friday The 13th Uncut is available on DVD and BluRay now. Friday the 13th Part 2 and Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D are available on DVD now.

RAWR(for more)

DVD Review: Oliver and Company

Disney has released a 20th Anniversary edition of Oliver and Company on DVD this week. The cartoon features the voices of Better Midler, Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Dom Delouise, and Robert Loggia.

Oliver and Company is a retelling of Oliver Twist about an orphaned kitten who joins a gang of dogs that commit petty crimes in New York City to help their owner pay off a debt to the villainous Sykes.

Now, I'm sure I must have seen this movie when I was a kid but I really didn't remember any of it. The characters were familiar but the story and everything else about it was not.


That said, I did enjoy the film. It didn't seem like a Disney movie to me. It was more reminiscent of the old Don Bluth cartoons. Mainly because of the violence at the end. It was rather graphic for a Disney cartoon. I won't go into details but it is rather gruesome for Disney.

The voice acting is great and the character design fantastic. The animals are extremely cute. It's a funny movie with a few touching moments and is certain to give the kids a great time watching.


My only complaint is the music. I really did not enjoy the songs in this. Thankfully, there are only a few so it wasn't too much to deal with. They just weren't enjoyable. You expect music in a Disney film to be timeless. The songs in this movie aren't.

Besides the music, I really don't have anything else negative about the movie. I really enjoyed it. I laughed, I teared (don't tell anyone) I smiled, and I wanted an Oliver and a Dodger of my own.


The DVD is full of special features including sing alongs, Oliver's Big City Challenge game, The Making of Oliver and Company, and a couple classic Disney toons starring Pluto.

The film has been digitally mastered for the 20th anniversary and it looks pretty great. Like I said before it looks more like a Don Bluth cartoon.

Oliver and Company is worth a revisit and definitely worth introducing to the new generation of animation and Disney fans.

Oliver and Company is available now on DVD.

RAWR(for more)

Burn After Reading Behind The Scenes!

Check out these behind the scenes videos from the DVD and Blu-ray of Burn After Reading.






Burn After Reading hits stores on 12/21.

RAWR(for more)

Guess Who's Coming To DVD?

Howard The Duck! Ah yes, the George Lucas bomb heard round the world, and one of my favorite childhood movies, is finally coming to DVD on March 10, 2009.

It is available for pre-order for $10.49.

This movie has a spot already reserved on my DVD shelf.

RAWR(for more)