Blu-ray Review: FUTUREWORLD (1976)

Note: This review is for a screener obtained from Shout! Factory. FUTUREWORLD has been officially released onto Blu-ray as of March 26th. Order your copy from Amazon.com today!

MOVIE REVIEW:
Until just yesterday, I had never seen FUTUREWORLD before, but I have seen its predecessor, WESTWORLD, numerous times. When a copy arrived in the mail from Shout! Factory, I was extremely excited! Finally I could see what happened after the events of the first film. Would the park be opened again, and if so, would everything work correctly this time with no loss of human life?!

Beginning several years after the rampage of a murderous Yul Brenner-bot, FUTUREWORLD follows two reporters, Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda) and Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner), who are invited to Delos' reopened adult theme park in hopes that they give it the OK and provide a some positive media coverage. Tracy thinks it's all grand, but Chuck, ever the suspicious reporter, believes that there is more going on than meets the eye.

After spending a bit of time in Futureworld (an outer space-themed addition to Delos' park) the two reporters begin to poke around and discover that something diabolical is going on behind the scenes, involving murder, villainous doppelgangers, and one of the most insane attempts at controlling the press I have ever seen!

FUTUREWORLD is a rather dull followup to the totally awesome WESTWORLD but still does enough right to be a worthy sequel. Instead of being a retread of the previous film's events, this movie smartly goes in another direction while staying firmly rooted in the world the first film created. Instead of having robots going insane and murdering Delos' clientele, there's a mystery afoot involving the giant tech company, and a secret that is worth killing over. While this is an interesting spin, the movie waits too long to deliver the big twist, which you'll easily figure out way before it happens.

Though it plods along at a lethargic pace, the film has some really cool moments: Yul Brenner makes a cameo as "The Gunslinger" within Tracy Ballard's really weird and none-too-erotic dream sequence. Though it's cool to see him reprise his role, I was really hoping he'd pop up in the abandoned ruins of Westworld to give our characters a fright! Instead, the only robotic character we get is Clark, a rebuilt automaton without a that emotes better than the majority of the cast. Oddly enough, this background character, who has no lines and only a few brief scenes, proves to be a captivating, and sadly tragic figure. Clark's reaction to the departure of his repairer/friend Harry (a rebellious maintenance worker at the resort) is heartbreaking.

Then there's the final act of the movie, where it becomes a race against time for Chuck and Tracy to escape with their lives! It's like someone shot a huge dose of caffeine into the seemingly sedated film, and we get nothing less than an old-fashioned wild west showdown, and an acrobatic battle around the outside of a space shuttle launch platform! And after all is said and done, after the bad guys think they've pulled off a big win for their (not clearly defined) evil machinations, this happens:

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE FONDA B*TCHES!

While a far cry from the fantastic WESTWORLD, FUTUREWORLD boasts a great cast, an awesome soundtrack by Fred Karlin (listen to some of it here), and does something different while continuing to build upon the storyline and mythology created by the previous entry. It's slow paced, but hang in there if you watch it because it all builds up to a worthwhile ending!

FUTUREWORLD may be a bit on the dull side, but its definitely worth checking out. I am more than happy to give this WESTWORLD sequel:

THREE 'RADS'

BLU-RAY REVIEW

The Packaging: Nothing special here folks. Typical Blu-ray case with a yellow-tinted version of the original theatrical poster art. (Blu-ray cover art located at top right of this post.)

Audio & Video: FUTUREWORLD is showcased in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p HD! Though I haven't seen it prior to its Blu-ray release, I'm sure it is safe to say that this is the best the movie has looked in a long time. The film comes with only one audio option: DTS HD Master Audio 2.0. Fred Karlin's score, the dialogue, and sound effects all come through nice and clearly. There's really nothing to complain about here!

The Extras: This is where the disc totally strikes out. We get a theatrical trailer (featured in 1080i), two short radio spots (together they make up approx. one minute of audio), and a minute-long Still Gallery that features concept art from the film as well as domestic and foreign poster designs. (No behind the scenes photos from the set, or lobby cards, or screenshots from the movie? Tsk tsk, Shout! Factory.)

Final Ruling: Though I was hoping for more special features, overall I can't really complain about this Blu-ray release. The disc is going for under fifteen dollars at most retailers, and the movie looks and sounds great! Plus the cover art actually complements that of the Warner Bros. WESTWORLD Blu-ray that came out on March 5th. It's a serviceable Blu-ray disc for an oft-overlooked sci-fi classic that isn't overpriced, therefore I'm content to let it slide and give it:

THREE 'RADS'

As stated earlier, Shout! Factory's FUTUREWORLD Blu-ray is now available wherever DVDs and Blu-rays are sold. Currently it is going for just under fourteen dollars on Amazon.com, as is Warner Home Video's WESTWORLD release. You can order one or both of them from the following links.

ORDER FUTUREWORLD ON BLU-RAY FOR $13.86!
ORDER WESTWORLD ON BLU-RAY FOR $13.86!

On the fence about buying it? Then give the trailer a quick look:

Introducing THE DEAD DUCK'S DUCK HUNT!

The internet is a huge and nearly infinite place, filled with the bulk of humanity's knowledge... and cat photos.... and lots and lots of porn... and viral videos... and memes... and, well, you get the idea. Because of all the info floating around out there, a lot of stuff gets overlooked, especially on Youtube (trust me on that, I know from experience).

Case in point, tonight I was introduced to a newly started web-series called THE DEAD DUCK'S DUCK HUNT, an odd little show that focuses on cult, horror, and exploitation films. It's weird, but I definitely dug it, and think some of you frequent readers and cult film fanatics will dig it too. Thus far "The Dead Duck" has two videos out there on the Youtube. The first covers numerous Shout! Factory DVD releases (mainly their awesome selection of Roger Corman Cult Classics), and the second gives a brief overview of the films of Lucio Fulci!

Give the Dead Duck's Duck Hunt a little love by watching the videos below. If you like what you see, be sure to give them a thumbs up, subscribe and/or comment on the videos, and share them too! I know these guys would love to hear what you have to say, plus they could use the extra traffic!

New DVDs & Blu-rays for 03/26/2013!

Holy Hell! Your bank accounts are about to take an ass-whoopin' this week fellow hoarders of digital versatile discs and Blu-rays! Mill Creek has unleashed numerous bargain-priced double feature Blu-rays and Scream/Shout! Factory are hitting us with some awesome new stuff, including a new MST3K DVD set and two new Horror classics hitting Blu-ray for the first time ever! Scroll down and see what's new this week!




NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Bangkok Revenge
The Collection
From Beyond (Collector's Edition - DVD/Blu-ray combo)
Phantasm II (Collector's Edition)



NEW TO BLU-RAY
Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back
Dead Collections
Dead Sushi
Futureworld
Hollow Man / Hollow Man 2
Jezebeth
Star Trek: Enterprise - Season One
Terminator Anthology
When a Stranger Calls / Happy Birthday to Me



NEW TO DVD
6 Dead Souls
Alleycat (Remastered Widescreen Edition)
Angels Brigade (a.k.a. Seven from Heaven, Angels' Revenge)
Animus
Bad Meat
Bled White
Bloodline: Vengeance From Beyond
Darkest Corner of Paradise
Deadly Karma
Death From Above
The Death Wheelers
Dinosaur Project
Discipline
The Frankenstein Theory
Ichi: The Killer Pack
Johnny Sokko and His Giant Robot: The Complete Series
Kill the Ugly TV
Loved Ones
Mad Cowgirl (Gourmet Edition - 3D & 2D)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXVI
Population 2
Possession in Japan
Sexsquatch: The Legend of Blood Stool Creek
Stagnight of the Dead
To Live and Die in Hollywood
Virtual Weapon
Zombie Genocide: Legion of the Damned

Quickie Review: Sins of the Dragon (2012)

It's been a while since I've delved into the world of low-budget filmmaking, and I have to admit, a lot has changed over the years. I recall getting VHS tapes of shot-on-video horror films in the mail just over a decade ago. (Showing my age a bit.) Then the VHS tapes were replaced by DVDs (and DVD-Rs), and then Blu-ray discs, but now it seems digital streaming and downloading  is beginning to reign supreme. And it's just not the format that's changing; it's the quality of the productions too!

With film going digital and the equipment to make films being super affordable these days, the kids of yesteryear that shot homemade kung-fu flicks in their backyard with a bulky VHS camcorder, have been replaced with young aspiring filmmakers armed with handycams and digital editing equipment! It's a startling change and definitely one for the better in my opinion.

Which leads me to SINS OF THE DRAGON, a cool kung-fu throwback that pays homage to classic Shaw Bros. fare. Filmed entirely in the woods with a small cast, (much like Ryuhei Kitamura's breakout film VERSUS), SINS OF THE DRAGON is an obvious labor of love for editor/co-star/director/writer Joey Corpora, that often belies it's miniscule budget.

The film begins when the main villain Caligo (the half-hockey-masked swordsman in the film's poster) kills one of the "Four Dragons," aging martial arts masters that were blessed with supernatural powers. By killing them, Caligo gains their powers and becomes an even more potent assassin. However, Caligo's thirst for power has gained him a stalwart foe, namely young Cunri. (Who kind of resembles Ken from Capcom's Street Fighter games now that I think of it.) Cunri was a child when Caligo wiped out his village and murdered his family, causing the orphaned child to take up martial arts training in his quest for revenge.

Joining Cunri on his journey is his war-fan wielding pal Kaia, who is far less bloodthirsty, but more than capable of taking care of herself. Along the way they battle Caligo's numerous, yet mainly useless ninjas (i.e. cannon fodder), and an odd trio of idiotic comic-relief bandits that enjoy eating piss and beans. (Yeah, I'm still scratching my head over that one. Hahaha.) The film eventually boils down to a ninja massacre that leads  to the final showdown between Cunri and Caligo, where truths are revealed, old wounds are healed, and new ones are opened.

SINS OF THE DRAGON runs just under a half-hour, though I've got the feeling that it used to be a bit longer. (Note: According to Joey Corpora, the original cut was at roughly 53 minutes, but was edited down for film festival screenings.) Most of the story is quickly told through exposition (you never get to see Caligo attack Cunri's village or battle it out with two of the other "Four Dragons"), which means that most of the film is made up of kung-fu action! The bulk of the fight choreography in this flick is very well done, with the stars pulling off some crazy moves and stunts. Though there are a few moments where the actors hesitate a bit before delivering a blow, the majority of the fight choreography is fast-paced and almost seamless. (A lot of this is due in part to the editing, which is top notch.)

Kaia and Cunri are about to put a hurtin' on some ninjas!

There is a lot to like in SINS OF THE DRAGON, but there's one glaring thing that didn't quite work for me: The three bandits that capture Kaia. I understand that they are there to a.) provide some laughs and b.) provide a moment where Cunri and Kaia make amends after an argument, but they stall the movie as soon as they show up on the screen. I didn't find them particularly funny, and though they manage to capture Kaia,  I could see her easily escaping from them without Cunri's aid. Truthfully I think it would have made more sense for her to be captured by Caligo and his minions, which would have given our hero even more reason to seek out and destroy his arch-nemesis. Seeing as how the film was heavily trimmed for festival screenings (including scenes where Cunri crosses paths with Sozen), I'm kind of surprised that the halfwit bandits survived the cut; their presence is totally unnecessary.

Despite my misgivings about said characters, I have to say that this is a solid little action flick that rises above its meager budget. (At times it feels like you're watching a demo reel for some up and coming martial artists, but that is no way a bad thing. Just look at Tony Jaa in ONG-BAK; that movie kicks some serious ass but is essentially a glorified demo reel for the rising martial arts star.) SINS OF THE DRAGON runs at a brisk pace, showcases some awesome kung-fu action, and pays tribute to the Shaw Bros.' films of yore with awesomely cheesy sound effects and watery arterial spray! It's an impressive start for first-time director Joey Corpora, and I very much look forward to seeing what else he and his companions pull off in the future, especially if they scrape together a much larger budget.

I enjoyed SINS OF THE DRAGON and gladly give it:

THREE AND-A-HALF 'RADS'

For more info about SINS OF THE DRAGON, visit the Platypus Underground website, and check out the film's IMDB page! And while you're at it, give the trailer a look-see below!

NOW PLAYING: COME OUT AND PLAY, THE CROODS, & OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN!

It's a good weekend (or was) to hit the theaters, because you can watch a decent action/thriller, an animated caveman comedy that the whole family can enjoy, and a CHILDREN OF THE CORN knock-off set in a tropical locale. Let's take a closer look at what's new! First up is COME OUT AND PLAY:


Yep, this is totally CHILDREN OF THE CORN set on a tropical isle (though it seems to be lacking the whole supernatural/religious aspect). When a vacationing couple arrives on a glorious island paradise and finds it nearly deserted, they soon discover that the adult residents of said island have been butchered by all of their children. After exposition from a lone survivor, they try to escape, but can they? I guess it all comes down to how many 5-year olds they can take in a fight. While I could probably take on my fair share of killer ankle-biters, my moral compass would drag me down a bit apparently, allowing me to only survive the onslaught of twenty or so. As for the movie, it doesn't look like anything special, but I always get a kick out a film that a.) has creepy kids murdering adults and b.) has the adults murdering them right back in order to survive. There's something very wrong with me....

20
Next up we have THE CROODS, a new animated comedy from DreamWorks Animation. A family of cavepeople wander around and go on adventures and ... stuff. I wasn't blown away by the first trailer I saw, and I'm personally surprised by how well it is doing in the box office. (Then again, I'm not so surprised because it's the first legit kids film to come out this year.) Let's check out the trailer, shall we?


 Ok, I'd watch this. It's no WRECK-IT RALPH, but it looks fun and almost makes me wish I had a son or daughter to go see it with. (Key word here is ALMOST. Haha!) I like Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone, and Nicholas Cage, who (though stricken with a malady that gives him a complete inability to turn down a role, and typically causes him to chew the hell out of the scenery) seems rather restrained here. If you've got young'uns this is def the best movie to take them to see this weekend.

Finally, if you don't live in a city that's playing COME OUT AND PLAY and you're planning on going out and leaving the kids with a babysitter, why not watch Gerard Butler reenact DIE HARD in the White House? Your final new major release for this week is OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN:


Oh MAN, how formulaic could you get?! Asian terrorists (probably North Korean because China's a major economic power in this world now and it'd be wrong to make them the villain in a movie. See also: RED DAWN remake.) easily invade the White House and capture the president, and its up to an ex-special forces/ex-Secret Service agent who happens to be stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time, to kill the bad guys single-handedly and rescue the prez.

This is screenwriting at its laziest, but damn it, I'd gladly give it a look. It's Rated R, has Gerard Butler doing what he was made to do (i.e. being an action star, not a frequent leading man in numerous retardedly formulaic chick flicks), and blows up several of Washington D.C.'s most notable landmarks! (I haven't seen this much destruction in our nation's capital since EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS! Well, except for INDEPENDENCE DAY that is!)

If you caught any of these new flicks on the big screen this weekend, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter!

Magnet Releasing to distribute MILO later this year!

Got a press release the other night stating that Magnet Releasing had won a battle to procure the distribution rights for Jacob Vaughan's horror/comedy MILO, which premiered last week at the SXSW Film Festival. Here's the lowdown on the film:

NEW YORK/AUSTIN – March 18, 2013 – Magnet Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to the acclaimed comedy/horror film MILO. Written and directed by Jacob Vaughan and starring Ken Marino & Gillian Jacobs, MILO premiered last weekend at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival. Blending the gory elements of a classic critter film (à la GREMLINS) with the lighthearted comedy of an unlikely friendship (reminiscent of TED), MILO was one of the most talked about and unique films of the festival.

The sale for MILO was completed late Friday night, making it the last deal to close during this year’s SXSW.

Duncan’s (Ken Marino) life is a real pain in the ass. Tormented by a manipulative, crooked boss (Patrick Warburton), a nagging mother (Mary Kay Place), a deadbeat new age dad (Stephen Root), and a sweet, yet pressuring, wife (Gillian Jacobs), his mounting stress starts to trigger an insufferable gastrointestinal reaction. Out of ideas and at the end of his rope, Duncan seeks the help of a hypnotherapist (Peter Stormare), who helps him discover the root of his unusual stomach pain: a pintsized demon living in his intestine that, triggered by excessive anxiety, forces its way out and slaughters the people who have angered him. Out of fear that his intestinal gremlin may target its wrath on the wrong person, Duncan attempts to befriend it, naming it Milo and indulging it to keep its seemingly insatiable appetite at bay.

MILO features notable puppetry by Frank Langley and Bob Mano.

MILO was produced by Adele Romanski with New Artists Alliance’s Gabriel Cowan and John Suits. Executive producers include Mark & Jay Duplass, John Norris, Kerry Johnson, Dallas Sonnier, Jack Heller and Floren Shieh Productions’ Clay Floren and Aimee Shieh.

“Just like Ken Marino, our stomachs were hurting watching MILO, happily because of laughter rather than an intestinal demon,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “MILO is a rare entry in the horror-comedy genre that truly delivers.”

Jacob Vaughan said, "Magnet is the perfect home for MILO. The company is second-to-none in releasing quality genre movies and their passion for MILO is overwhelming. I’m confident they will do an incredible job positioning the film in the marketplace and getting it seen by audiences everywhere.”

The deal for MILO was negotiated by Magnolia/Magnet SVP of Acquisitions Dori Begley and Director of Acquisitions Peter van Steemburg, with ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers and producers.

This movie actually sounds pretty cool and the fact that there's puppetry in it (no mention of CGI) excites me! Could it be that the filmmakers used practical f/x instead of computerized trickery?! Guess we'll have to wait and find out later this year when Magnet gives MILO a video on demand/limited theatrical release! 

"MILO got a distribution deal?! NO WAY?!"

JOHN DIES AT THE END: Available on DVD & Blu-ray on April 2nd!

Based upon the popular novel by David Wong, JOHN DIES AT THE END follows two slackers who get caught up in an interdimensional adventure involving strange invaders who want to conquer the Earth. I actually saw it earlier this year after buying a "pre-theatrical rental" through Amazon and .... well... it was interesting to say the least. All eyes were glued to the TV, but most of us watching were scratching our heads a lot of the time. Apparently this is an adaptation that requires you to read the source material to fully appreciate the movie. Still, it was fun, and fans of the book should love it! Here's more info about this upcoming release:

SYNOPSIS: In JOHN DIES AT THE END, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs...

Adapted from David Wong’s audacious trans-genre horror novel, JOHN DIES AT THE END with screenplay by and directed by Don Coscarelli (BUBBA HO-TEP) and also stars Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman and Paul Giamatti.

 BONUS FEATURES

-- Commentary with Writer/Director Don Coscarelli, Producer Brad Baruh, Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes
-- Deleted Scenes
-- Getting Sauced: The Making of John Dies at the End
-- Creature Corps: The Effects of Soy Sauce
-- Casting Sessions
-- Fangoria Interview with Paul Giamatti
-- Trailers

Both the DVD & Blu-ray hit stores and e-tailers on Tuesday, April 2nd!

PRE-ORDER THE BLU-RAY AT AMAZON.COM FOR $19.99!

PRE-ORDER THE DVD AT AMAZON.COM FOR $14.99!

New DVDs & Blu-rays for 03/19/2013!

Hey fellow DVD/Blu-ray hoarders. Fear not for there's not a whole lot of NEW genre stuff hitting DVD & Blu-ray this week! THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY comes to DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D, GORGO gets the royal treatment in VCI's new high-def release, and there's also a slew of martial arts films on DVD courtesy of several distribution companies (like Bonzai Media Corporation). Here's what's new this week:





NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
GORGO
The Great Magician
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Shadow People



NEW TO BLU-RAY
Timerider: The Adventures of Lyle Swann
Zeta One (a.k.a. The Love Factor): Remastered Edition



NEW TO DVD 
The 10th Kingdom
Bangkok Adrenaline
Black Eagle
Bodyguards & Assassins
Dark Feed
The Edgar Wallace Collection Vol. 1: Mad Executioners
The Edgar Wallace Collection Vol. 2: The Curse of the Yellow Snake
Grave of the Vampire
Hanzo the Razor: The Snare
Hellgate
Ip Man 3: The Legend is Born
Jackie Chan Beginnings: Killer Meteors & New Fist of Fury
The Jitters
The Jurassic Terror of Unknown Island
Legendary Assassin
Legend of the Wolf
New Fists of Fury
Police Story
Shaolin
Strange Frame



NEW MULTI-FILM COLLECTIONS ON DVD
Action-Packed Movie Marathon
Contains: Alienator, Eye of the Tiger, Cyclone, and The Exterminator 2.

Creepy Creatures Vol. 1
Contains: Monster From the Ocean Floor and Serpent Island.

Creepy Creatures Vol. 2
Contains: The Crawling Hand and The Slime People.

Blu-ray Review: Police Story / Police Story 2 Double Feature

Note: This is a pre-release review for a screener obtained from Shout! Factory. This double feature Blu-ray will not be available until April 16th, 2013!

MOVIE REVIEW(S):
Though retired from doing his own stunts in recent years, Jackie Chan's past efforts are still spectacular and unmatched to this day. (Though admittedly, many of the young new action stars coming out of Thailand in the past decade could have given Jackie a run for his money in his prime.) Case in point, Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY features the martial artist's amazing physical prowess while providing an engaging storyline and some kick-ass action sequences.

In this film, Chan plays officer Chan Ka Kui, a young detective that makes a name for himself after single-handedly nabbing a drug baron named Mr. Chu Tao, during a botched police raid that reduces an entire shantytown to rubble! (This scene was later cribbed by Michael Bay for Bad Boys 2.) Chan becomes the poster boy (literally) for the police department and is given the cushy job of protecting a witness named Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin), but things go awry and a vengeful Mr. Chu is soon back out on the streets.

Eventually Selina comes to her senses (after Chu's thugs attempt to frame Jackie and kill her), so she hacks in to Chu's computer and gets proof of his dirty dealings. She is quickly accosted by Chu's kung-fu henchmen, but is luckily rescued when an insanely angry Chan Ka Kui arrives on the scene, and starts pummeling Chu's men in a series of awesomely choreographed fights! The climactic battle between Jackie and the baddies is fantastic, with tons of glass displays, windows, lighting fixtures, and bodies being broken throughout a mall. It's probably one of my all-time favorite Jackie Chan battles; give it a look below. The action starts at the 9:05 mark!


POLICE STORY 2 takes place right after the events of the first movie. Chan Ka Kui is getting rebuked by his superiors for all the damage he caused in the first film, but dammit.... HE GETS RESULTS! After being demoted to a traffic cop and sort of out of the limelight, Chan and his girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung, with a much larger role) try to relax. But between Chu's men making constant idle threats, and the cops needing Jackie's assistance all the time, it seems like things just won't work out for the two lovebirds.

Then disaster strikes as a group of terrorists begin a campaign of terror in order to extort money from a wealthy businessman. Chan and a group of young detectives are on the case, but just can't seem to capture the criminals. That is until May is kidnapped. With his woman in the hands of dangerous crooks, Chan Ka Kui springs into action and battles the quartet of bombermen (in a fireworks factory no less), which leads up to a tremendously explosive ending. (Pun intended.)

POLICE STORY is an awesome Jackie Chan flick with some highly memorable action scenes (e.g. the police raid in the opening; Jackie rescuing Serina; the throwdown in the mall during the big climax), several silly (but funny) slapstick moments, and a serious dramatic turn in the final act. It all culminates into one of the best Hong Kong action flicks you'll ever lay eyes on, and is rightfully considered a classic! For making me laugh, cheer, and wince (man, some of these stunts must have hurt) I award this film:

FOUR 'RADS'

POLICE STORY 2 is fun, but a far cry from it's predecessor. The story gets a bit convoluted, with Jackie's exploits focusing far too long on his rivalry with Chu. (Who is on his deathbed at this point.) Most of the fight scenes involve Chan beating up on Chu's annoying henchmen, leaving the final act to Jackie's big showdown with the film's real villains. Speaking of which, the bombers are sort of boring bad guys, with only one of them turning out to be awesome. The "weakest link" of their group is a scrawny little dude that's a deaf-mute, but he's agile, feisty, and throws a variety of incendiaries at Jackie during their brawl.

In the end, the movie runs a bit too long and doesn't have enough action to fill up the running time in my opinion. (Though the fight scene in the playground is pretty awesome!) And the bad guys just didn't rock my world aside from the weird little mute guy. Still, there's a lot of great stunts by the Chan-man here, and I love his interactions with his superiors this time around as they are mainly played for laughs.

Though it's a half hour too long, and one fight scene short, I still enjoyed POLICE STORY 2 and gladly give it:

THREE 'RADS'

BLU-RAY REVIEW

The Packaging: Both films come on one Blu-ray disc in a standard Blu-ray case. The over art, which you can check out at the top of the post, isn't anything fancy.

Audio & Video: Each film has four audio choices: ENGLISH DUBBED 5.1 DTS-MASTER HD, ENGLISH DUBBED 2.0 DTS-MASTER HD, CANTONESE 5.1 DTS-MASTER HD, and CANTONESE 2.0 DTS-MASTER HD. I watched both films with 5.1 English dubbing and was more than happy with it, though sometimes it seemed that the dialogue was a bit too low at times in POLICE STORY 2. Naturally I cranked up the surround sound to hear better, which resulted in some much louder-than-anticipated explosions and gunshots at times.

The video quality of both films is good, though POLICE STORY 2 proves to be the better-looking of the two. It has a much cleaner video presentation with far less grain than POLICE STORY. I'm guessing that this is the best Shout! Factory could do with the film elements that were provided for their use? Come to think of it... I actually own POLICE STORY on DVD (the Dragon Dynasty Special Edition) and may pop it in at some point to compare the picture quality. Even if it's not as good or at least on par, I may keep it because it has more extra features.

The Extras: On the back of the Blu-ray cover, it states that the only extras are "Outtakes" and "Theatrical Trailers." This is mostly true as there are a few other goodies hiding on the disc. POLICE STORY has the original Hong Kong trailer, the U.S. trailer, Outtakes, Deleted Scenes (most of which run only a few seconds), an extended opening sequence, and an "alternate ending." The video quality of most of these extras is not very good (the gents at Bluray.com seem to believe that it was sourced from a video transfer) and are oddly shown in a "windowbox" format.

POLICE STORY 2 fares a bit better (some of the extras are actually in HD!) and boasts outtakes, the international trailer, the original Hong Kong trailer, and alternate outtakes.

Final Ruling: For fifteen bucks, you really can't complain about this double feature Blu-ray. You get two cool Jackie Chan flicks with a better than average video presentation and good audio. On top of that, you get a handful of extras and cool menus that blare the franchise's theme song, HERO STORY, as sung by Jackie Chan himself. Speaking of which......


It's not a perfect release, but it's probably the best we can expect for these two Jackie Chan classics. I'm more than content with the presentation of the films, and though I'm not a fan of the windowboxing on the bulk of the extra features, I think this double feature release is worth picking up and worthy of:

THREE 'RADS'

Shout! Factory's POLICE STORY/POLICE STORY 2 DOUBLE FEATURE comes out on DVD & Blu-ray on April 16th and can be pre-ordered relatively cheaply on Amazon.com:

PRE-ORDER THE DVD FOR $9.99!
PRE-ORDER THE BLU-RAY FOR $14.99!

NOW PLAYING: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE, THE CALL, & UPSIDE DOWN.

Hey cinemagoers! Yours truly hasn't seen a movie on the big screen in a few weeks because cash is tight, but that won't stop me blogging about all the new stuff hitting theaters! This weekend you can check out Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi as a pair of washed-up magicians who have to combat the street-magic of Jim Carrey in order to reignite their careers, or you could watch Halle Berry get someone killed thanks to a 911 callback, which haunts her until she can finally avenge the victim and bring the killer to justice, OR you could be lucky enough to catch a limited theatrical release for UPSIDE DOWN which is a sci-fi, fantasy, romance! Watch some trailers below and make up your mind on what you'll catch before the weekend is through. First up is THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE:


It's probably terrible, but I just can't help but want to check out this new comedy. Carell and Buscemi look like a low rent version of Sigfried and Roy, and Alan Arkin knocks it out of the park as a washed up old school magician. Also, Olivia Wilde is never hard on the eyes, and Jim Carrey seems to be giving a funny and rather subdued performance. It's cliched as all hell, but dammit, I want to see it! (Don't judge me!)


I've heard a few good things about this one, but it looks so damned cliched (even more so than BURT WONDERSTONE), and anything produced by WWE Films makes me leery. (Though I have to admit that SEE NO EVIL and THE MARINE were pretty decent.) Methinks it'll probably be a decent thriller, but will probably fall apart towards the end, when it leads to a one-on-one battle between Halle Berry and the film's villain. I'm skipping it for now but may give it a rental down the road.


Aside from the icky love aspect of it, UPSIDE DOWN looks interesting. Not sure if it's supposed to be Earth or an Earth-like planet, but regardless, there are two mirror worlds with the lower one being normal (though destitute) and the upper one being upside down (and wealthy) and looking down upon it's neighbor. (SYMBOLISM!) No one from below is allowed to communicate with anyone above, but naturally two kids from the opposite landscapes find each other upon a mountain peak and form a bond, that eventually turns into an all out romantical yearning for one another.

Naturally this is frowned upon so lover boy must escape from authorities and somehow find a way to spend his life with Kirstin Dunst, or die trying. This is something that appeals to me on a visual level, but will also keep my fiancee's interest because there's that whole romantic angle. It's not playing anywhere around here, so I'll be waiting for the eventual DVD release to scope it out.

Also, there's a new film from Goro Miyazaki (son of the famous Hayao Miyazaki) called FROM UP ON POPPY HILL in select theaters this weekend. Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you were looking for something good and different.

Indie Film Roundup: 2 VHS docs, Wolf Cop, and Fist of Jesus!

I've recently discovered several new indie films that are in various stages of production (mostly by accident; God Bless the internet!), and I think you'll all be psyched about each one of them. We've got two VHS documentaries, and two horror-comedies that will have you waxing nostalgic and cheering for more gory hijinks! First up is a completed VHS documentary called REWIND THIS!


Featuring interviews with Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman, Full Moon's Charles Band, and various directors and VHS fans/collectors, REWIND THIS! takes a look at the rise and fall of the VHS tape, and its continued popularity despite being a "dead format." It looks quite interesting and just made its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, which ends this weekend. No word on a DVD (or VHS?) release date yet, but to keep up on what's new with the film and to learn more about it, be sure to visit its official site at www.rewindthismovie.com!

But REWIND THIS! is not alone folks, for this is another, much smaller budgeted documentary in the works called ADJUST YOUR TRACKING, that takes another look at the world of the VHS tape, and the people that still collect them. Scroll down a bit for the bitchin' poster and the teaser trailer. CLICK HERE to visit the official site and learn more about this upcoming documentary!

This makes me pine for my old VCR! So cool!

Continuing on, its time to look at some new indie films that blend Horror, gore, and comedy together. First up is WOLF COP, the tale of a drunken cop named Lou Garou (HA!) who ends up becoming a drunken lycanthropic police officer! The filmmakers have created a hilariously awesome concept trailer and are currently battling it out with other indie hopefuls on CineCoup to earn a million bucks to make WOLF COP a reality. Check out the concept trailer below, then head over to the main website (www.wolfcop.com) to find out how you can help get this flick made!


Finally, I need to give some love to the most insane indie film project I've come across in a while. Imagine if Jesus Christ himself, while bringing Lazarus back to life, accidentally screwed up and created the first ever zombie plague on Earth. And hey, what if Jesus (and Judas) battled the undead hordes to save humanity?! That is the concept for FIST OF JESUS (a.k.a. ONCE UPON A TIME IN JERUSALEM).

A short film by collaborators/co-directors David Muñoz & Adrián Cardona is currently up on Youtube, and they are attempting to pull together funds to create a feature-length version. Check out the FIST OF JESUS short below (these gents are all from Spain, so keep that in mind when you are assailed by English subtitles), then head on over to the official site (www.fistofjesus.com) for production updates and to help donate to the completion of a movie that can only be described as "The Greatest Story Ever Told" meets "Dead-Alive!" Enjoy!


HAHAHAHA! Extra points for the random inclusion of ZOMBIE COWBOYS! This really looks awesome; I hope they pull together the funds to make the feature-length version.

Oh, and since we're currently on the topic of the epic tag-team of David Muñoz & Adrián Cardona, here is their short film BRUTAL RELAX, which features aquatic man-eating zombie creatures paying the price for ruining the relaxation attempts of a violently insane gentleman named Mr. Olivares. Needless to say... THIS. IS. AWESOME!

V/H/S 2 coming this Summer!

I got V/H/S for Christmas and still have yet to watch it. Heck, by the time I do get around to it, I can probably check out its sequel! (Wow, that was quick. They didn't waste any time in franchising this did they?) V/H/S 2 (which I thought was going to be S-V/H/S) will feature another scenario involving mysterious VHS tapes full of horrifying imagery and will hit on demand services on June 6th, and get a limited theatrical release on July 12th. Details are still sparse (can't even seem to find a poster for the movie yet) but I've got a synopsis, teaser trailer, and a few photo stills to share with you.

SYNOPSIS:
Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his abandoned house and find another collection of mysterious VHS tapes. In viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be terrifying motives behind the student’s disappearance.

Hmm... not really too much to go on there, is there? Well maybe the teaser trailer will enlighten us a bit more about some of the crazy stuff the investigators find on those VHS tapes:


Yeah it looks pretty solid, I'll most definitely give it a look. If you like what you've seen so far, here's a few images direct from the film to get you psyched for more found footage shenanigans.

NO ONE MOVE, OR THE GUY IN THE WHITE SHIRT GETS IT!

Stop crying. It's just a flesh wound.

Once again V/H/S 2 will be available to stream through various VOD services on June 6th. I am most definitely gonna give it a look that weekend; will be a great way to get pumped for the next Hudson Horror Show!

ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE FINALLY SEEING THE LIGHT OF DAY!

With the success of Jonathan Levine's WARM BODIES, it's no surprise that someone finally got around to releasing his feature length directorial debut. I've been curious about it myself and have wondered for some time why it was never released. Seven years later, I'll finally see if it has been worth the wait. Here's more info on this "lost" Horror film that being released by RADiUS and The Weinstein Company:

PRESS RELEASE

RADiUS-TWC is proud to announce that it has acquired U.S. rights to ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE, the long anticipated feature directorial debut from director Jonathan Levine (WARM BODIES, 50/50) that has been rescued by the Weinstein Company’s boutique label.

Starring Amber Heard and Anson Mount, ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY is about a group of high-schoolers who invite Mandy Lane, “a good girl” who becomes the object of everyone’s affection after returning from summer break, to a weekend party on a secluded ranch. While the festivities rage on, the number of revelers begins to mysteriously drop one at a time.

ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE will be released in late summer – seven years after its Toronto Film Festival Midnight premiere.

RADiUS Co-President Tom Quinn says:  “I've been chasing this film since I first saw it in Toronto. [Executive producer] Keith Calder and I have kept in touch over the years and he's finally been able to wrangle the film from a deal at Senator.  Originally, Harvey and Bob beat us to it in Toronto and now we get to work together to finally bring MANDY LANE to U.S. audiences. This is one of the few horror films that has remained relevant and in the zeitgeist for years - - no easy feat - - and it still surpasses so much of what is being produced today.“ 

According to Harvey and Bob Weinstein, “We’ve always loved MANDY LANE and are thrilled that RADiUS shares our passion for the film and will get in front of the widest possible audience.”

Levine goes on to say:  “I am thrilled that MANDY LANE has been rescued and is back where it belongs with Harvey and Bob.  Hard to believe it's been seven years, but then again I’ve always perceived myself as a misunderstood artist who was light years ahead of his time, so I am thrilled the world has finally caught up. Seriously, I am incredibly proud of the film and of the hard work that my cast and collaborators put into it, and I am so happy the world will finally get a chance to see it.”

“It's finally time for me to come clean… During the production of MANDY LANE, I broke a mirror and doomed the film to seven years of bad luck. Thankfully, the team at RADiUS-TWC has shown up to rescue our film and clear my guilty conscience. I'm ecstatic that our first film with RADiUS-TWC is also the first film we produced, and I'm looking forward to working with Harvey, Bob, Jason, and Tom on the release,” echoes Calder.

Quinn and RADiUS Co-President Jason Janego negotiated the deal with Calder.

In the dark on this flick, or you just haven't seen the trailer in a long time? Well give it a look and get excited because it looks pretty darned good. I personally enjoyed WARM BODIES a lot, so I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE:



No official theatrical, video on demand, or DVD/Blu-ray release dates have been announced yet, but I'll be sure to post them once I find out!

Coming March 19th: FRIGHT-RAGS' LIMITED EDITION FREDDY VS. JASON TEE!

Next Tuesday, FRIGHT-RAGS will be unleashing yet another awesome limited edition t-shirt, this time to celebrate the tenth anniversary of one of cinema's biggest matchups: FREDDY VS. JASON! (Egads.... it's been ten years already? I'm feeling OLD!) The shirt was designed by the insane(ly) talented Jeff Zornow and will be available for pre-order starting at 10 AM EST, up until Tuesday, March 26th. The shirts come in sizes Small to 5XL (for menfolk) and are $25.95 apiece. As always, they will also have hoodie pre-orders going as well (sizes Small to 3XL) for $49.95. But enough about the logistics of the shirt, take a look for yourself and begin to drool!

Freddy died by fire, Jason by water - how can we use that?

Stay tuned for more awesomeness from FRIGHT-RAGS because they'll soon be unveiling some more kick ass new shirts as March progresses. Naturally I'll totally plug the new designs on this here blog, so keep an eye out!

New DVDs & Blu-rays for 03/12/13 + World Premiere of OOGA BOOGA!

Hey gang! This week has a small number of genre releases BUT a lot of it is quality stuff! Tibor Takacs (director of THE GATE) delivers a new CGI spider-fest in 2D & 3D, George Lucas' 80s "Hobbit" flick WILLOW makes its Blu-ray debut, THE TAINT makes its shocking Blu-ray debut, and Peter Weller  Batman brings the crazy in BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS PART 2! Check out what's new below and put some of your tax return money to good use!




NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2
Grave Encounters 2
Life of Pi
Rise of the Guardians
Spiders (2D & 3D)
Storage 24
The Taint (DVD/Blu-ray combo)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: 25th Anniversary Edition (DVD/Blu-ray combo)
Willow (DVD/Blu-ray combo)


NEW TO BLU-RAY
Abolition
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
The Blob (Criterion Collection)
Giant Killer
Till Sunset


NEW TO DVD
Curandero: Dawn of the Demon
The Devil is My Witness
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - Season 4
In Their Skin
Jack the Giant Killer
Killer Biker Chicks
Monster
Mystikal
Unaware
Underground Lizard People
Vampire Boys 2: The New Brood
Xena: Warrior Princess - Season 4


MULTI-FILM COLLECTIONS ON DVD
4-Film Favorites: Post-Apocalyptic Collection
Contains: I Am Legend, Logan's Run, Dark City Director's Cut, and The Omega Man.

Bloody Disgusting Double Feature Vol. 2 - The Pack & Outcast

Death Penalty.com / Death Penalty.com: A New Beginning (Double Feature)

Dimension Extreme 6-Film Collection
Contains: Black Sheep, Automaton Transfusion, Broken, Rogue, Welcome to the Jungle, and 13.


Savage Water & Death by Invitation (Double Feature)

SyFy Mega Pack - Maneater Series
Contains: SWAMP DEVIL, SEA BEAST, RISE OF THE GARGOYLES, WYVERN, SAND SERPENTS, and ROADKILL.


BLU-RAY DOUBLE FEATURES
Clash of the Titans (1981/2010)
The Losers / Jonah Hex
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic / Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter


Also, I have to note that today is the premiere of Charles Band's new film OOGA BOOGA! The film is available to stream or download online EXCLUSIVELY through GrindhouseFlix.com! It will be $1.99 to rent it or $7.99 to own the digital download. The movie revolves around a black kid that's gunned down by racist cops for a crime he didn't commit, so naturally he returns from the grave as a goofy killer puppet to avenge the wrongs done to him by us evil whitefolk. This is what it's like when the worlds of Puppet Master and Blaxploitation cinema collide! Check out the trailer below:



Hahahahahaha. The doll hiding amongst other stuffed animals and toys "E.T." style had me cracking up! And it's good to see Karen Black being terrorized by a killer doll again! Ooga Booga looks fun; think I'll give it a rental this weekend!

NOW PLAYING: OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, ABCS OF DEATH, and THE SILENCE

Along with the release of JACK THE GIANT SLAYER last week, it seems like we are now at the start of Hollywood's blockbuster season which seems to start earlier and earlier every year. (Remember when all the mega budget blockbuster films came out exclusively in the Summer?) This week, Sam Raimi looks to put a hurting on the box office receipts for Bryan Singer's latest fantasy epic, a foreign murder mystery/thriller gets a limited release, and a new-ish Horror anthology will be popping up at a select theater (probably not) near you. Leading the charge this weekend is OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL:


Admittedly I didn't have high hopes for this one (sorry Sam!) but after seeing this latest trailer, I'm inclined to grab a ticket to scope it out. It is certainly visually appealing to say the least, and from the handful of reviews I've read, it pretty much is style over substance. Plus there's a helluva good chance of seeing Bruce Campbell in a cameo appearance here, so I may just head out to see it next week!

Up next is a film I'm more than familiar with, namely THE ABCS OF DEATH (read my review for it HERE):


It kills me that this movie wasn't as good as it should have been. The concept is still pretty cool, and I truthfully want another one, but there's gotta be more quality control the next time around. Also, it seems to me that this would play better as an actual competition between filmmakers (weekly TV format?), with the winners walking away with prize money and a distribution contract. If anything though, I have to admit the advertising campaign for this is really damned good. I just watched the trailer again and was like "Man I want to see this.... oh wait.... I did. Nevermind." Hahaha.

Finally, here's the trailer for a film I've been talking about on this here blog for the past few weeks. THE SILENCE opens in select theaters and will treat you to a moody, murder mystery/thriller that'll keep you guessing until the end(?).


It seems interesting but I don't know if I'd go out of my way to see it on the big screen. This one screams "NetFlix streaming" to me, so I'll just hold off on seeing this for a while.

Are you seeing/have you seen any of these on the big screen this weekend? Drop me a comment below and tell me what you watched and how it was, or share your opinions with me on Facebook or Twitter!

Poster, Synopsis, and Trailer for Michael J. Epstein's TEN!

I've never heard of "Spektor Island" (it was apparently a very real place that sank in 1985 during a hurricane) which is probably why I've never heard of the "Spektor Island Massacre" before. In 1972, nine women and three men were found brutally murdered at the island's Babirusa Mansion. To this day, there is no explanation for the murders, and no suspect was ever caught. These events are what director Michael J. Epstein's first feature film, TEN, are based on.

Synopsis:
TEN is a collectivist, post-exploitation psychological thriller devised as a possible explanation for the events of the 1972 Spektor Island Massacre. On a cold December afternoon, ten women arrive at a mansion on Spektor Island, famed for years of reported hauntings and strange activities. Will they live through the night?

The all-female cast film is a response to exploitation, slasher, and thriller films, with particular focus on the kind of storytelling prominent in b-movies and genre films from the 1950s to the 1980s. It explores the meaning and fluidity of identity and takes a number of surprising turns, paying homage to filmmakers and producers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Roger Corman, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Jim Wynorski, Jean Rollin, Lloyd Kaufman, and Andy Sidaris.

The film was conceived by Sarah Wait Zaranek, Michael J. Epstein, and Sophia Cacciola as a two-minute trailer for the 2012 Brattle Theatre (Cambridge, MA) Trailer Smackdown. After selection as a "curator's choice" at the Smackdown, a successful Kickstarter campaign with 258 backers raised a portion of the budget for the production. Principal shooting took place in December 2012 with expected festival release in 2013 and wider release in 2014.

This sounds like a pretty interesting flick; let's take a look at the new teaser trailer, shall we?


Well it looks ahm.... really weird. Haha. At first I was kind of confused by all the pig imagery, but I'm assuming that its a nod towards the film's possible villain: A ghostly butcher that was said to roam Spektor Island. Maybe the spirit of The Butcher possesses one or more of the visitors to the island's hotel and begins hacking himself up some "piggies?" Just a guess.

More teasers will pop up as the months tick by until the debut of the official trailer, so if you're intrigued by this production, make sure to swing on by this here blog again for further updates.

Want to know more about the movie? Then visit its official site at www.tenthemovie.com!

ELI ROTH NEWS: HEMLOCK GROVE COMING TO NETFLIX IN APRIL; AFTERSHOCK COMING TO THEATERS IN MAY!

Click for a closer look.

Love him or hate him, you gotta give Eli Roth some credit for creating some of the most brutal gross-out moments in modern film history. From the icky flesh-melting fun of CABIN FEVER, to the torture porn depravity of HOSTEL, to his awesome faux slasher trailer for THANKSGIVING featured in GRINDHOUSE, Eli has come a long way since his short onscreen cameos in Troma flicks.

With that said, Eli Roth's got a new original series prepped  called HEMLOCK GROVE and it premieres exclusively on NetFlix on April 19th. I heard about it a few months back, but it wasn't until recently that I started getting some info on it (like the really kick-ass poster for the show pictured on the left). From the post alone you can assume that werewolves are involved somehow... or at least man-eating dogs.

Synopsis: 
From executive producer Eli Roth and based on Brian McGreevy’s novel of the same name, Hemlock Grove is a riveting one-hour murder mystery that revolves around the residents of a former Pennsylvania steel town.

When 17-year-old Brooke Bluebell is brutally murdered, any of Hemlock’s peculiar inhabitants – or killer creatures – could be suspects. Through the investigation, the town’s seamier side is exposed, revealing nothing is what it seems. Beautiful, terrifying and graphic, Hemlock Grove is unlike anything else in its genre. The cast includes Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott, Bill Skarsgård, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell and Freya Tingley.

Hmm.... a murder mystery involving supernatural creatures? Count me in!  Check out the trailer for Season one below:


Eli's other new project (which he co-wrote, produced, and starred in) is a disaster movie/horror flick called AFTERSHOCK. Directed by Nicolás López, AFTERSHOCK follows a group of travelers who get trapped in an underground nightclub in Chile during a huge earthquake. But their struggle to escape their would-be tomb is only the beginning because the earthquake has wrecked the city, knocked out the power, and (from what I gathered from the trailer below) unleashed an army of violent criminals upon the panicking populace!


AFTERSHOCK is currently making its festival rounds but is slated for a May 10th theatrical release in the United States!

New DVDs & Blu-rays for 03/05/2013!

Hey gang! You may find yourself with a few extra bucks this week and if that's the case, there are a few things of interest that came out on Blu-ray yesterday. The big news is that the NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. Blu-ray collection is no longer a Best Buy exclusive, and is thankfully not overpriced. Also Warner Bros. just released WESTWORLD onto Blu-ray (only $13.99 at Amazon!) which will go great with the FUTUREWORLD Blu that is coming from Shout! Factory later this month. Along with a handful of higher profile Hollywood releases.... that's pretty much all that's worth noting. The rest of the "new" stuff consists of direct-to-DVD dreck and re-releases of stuff you probably already own. Here's the lowdown:




NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
The Marine 3: Homefront
Muy Thai Warrior
Red Dawn
Ultramarines: Warhammer
Wreck-It Ralph


NEW TO BLU-RAY
A Nightmare on Elm St. Collection
Westworld


NEW TO DVD
The Bay
Bhoot Returns
Bruce Lee in 3D
Eaters
Elfie Hopkins: Cannibal Hunter
House Hunting
Table No. 21
Zombie Wars: Falls the Shadow


DVD DOUBLE FEATURES
Nazis at the Center of the Earth / Abe Lincoln vs. Zombies
Super 8 / Eagle Eye
War of the Worlds / Minority Report


MULTI-FILM COLLECTIONS ON DVD
5 Movie Sci-Fi Disasters
Contains: ?

6-Movie Disaster Collection
Contains: Scorcher, Miami Magma, Death Flight, Firestorm, Epicenter, and Countdown Armageddon.

8-Movie Action Pack 4
Contains: ?

8-Movie Action Pack 5
Contains: ?

Adventure Collection [Featuring CHUCK NORRIS!]
Contains: Forest Warrior, The Polar Bear King, Legend of the Cougar Canyon Grizzly, and The Treasure.

Death Comes in 3's
Contains: Demonic Toys, Demonic Toys 2, Dollman vs. Demonic Toys, Gingerdead Man, Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust, Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver, Killjoy, Killjoy 2, and Killjoy 3.

Rage of Honor / American Ninja / Revenge of the Ninja (Triple Feature)

NOW PLAYING: JACK THE GIANT SLAYER and THE LAST EXORCISM PART II

Spring is nearly here and that's the best news I've got for you because March's lineup of theatrical releases is pretty sparse for all of us wanting any new genre fare. This week features a new Fantasy/Adventure and one of the only Horror flicks you'll see on the big screen in the next thirty days or so.

The main movie to beat this weekend is obviously JACK THE GIANT SLAYER, starring Nicholas Hoult ("R" from WARM BODIES) as the titular hero. Jack accidentally unleashes a horde of giants upon the kingdom he calls home when he unwittingly allows some magic beans to sprout into a giant beanstalk! Soon he and an army of brave knights will duke it out with giants of all shapes and sizes for the fate of their fantasy world. Let's see if the trailer delivers the goods....


So.... I have to admit that while I'm pretty skeptical about the quality of the CGI in this movie... I'm pretty impressed with what I've just seen. I just went from "don't give a damn if I see it" to "Hey, I think I actually want to check this out." Plus, the cast for this flick is pretty outstanding, and boasts the likes if Ian McShane, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, and Warwick Davis! Since next week is devoid of anything worthwhile, I do believe I will check this movie out!

Next up is a film that is competing for DUMBEST MOVIE TITLE EVER (thus far, its main competition is A HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2: GHOSTS OF GEORGIA), namely THE LAST EXORCISM... 2! If there's going to be sequels to a film called THE LAST EXORCISM, then clearly it is misnomered. Perhaps the first one should have been called the SECOND TO LAST EXORCISM? In any case, here's the trailer:


I have to admit, it looks way better than I thought it would, but methinks this is a rental at best. Maybe when it hits DVD I'll have a double feature. Maybe.

6 SOULS now available On Demand + ABCS OF DEATH & THE SILENCE coming to theaters March 8th!

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I needed to take a short break to accomplish some things that didn't involve movies, or a computer. Plus, admittedly, I've been goofing around and playing classic RTS games (e.g. Age of Mythology) and a game called Retro City Rampage the past few nights. Sometimes you just need to call a time-out and turn your brain off for a couple of days. In any case, here's some news about three new(ish) flicks that are coming to a theater (or Video on Demand service) near you!

6 SOULS, which I discussed in this post, is now available on various On Demand services including iTUNES and AMAZON.COM! This movie features Julianne Moore as a doctor that's lost her faith in God, but not in SCIENCE! That all begins to change when her latest patient Adam, who is afflicted with multiple personality disorder, begin behaving in ways that science can't explain. Is he possessed? Is he crazy? Or is he just really clever and kind of f*cked up? Guess you'll have to watch the flick to find out!

Next week, on Friday, March 8th, Magnet Releasing will be giving ABCs of Death a limited theatrical release. The film features 26 distinctly unique Horror shorts from 26 different directors from around the world. As you may have ascertained from my review (read it HERE), I was pretty disappointed with the film. If you want to sate your own curiosity about this movie, you can check out ABCS OF DEATH on the big screen next Friday at any of the locations listed HERE.

Also new in select theaters this coming Friday is THE SILENCE, a foreign murder mystery/thriller, in which a teenage girl is abducted in a field of wheat, where another young girl was murdered 23 years prior. Is there a connection between the two crimes? Well.... yeah more than likely. Otherwise, what the hell would be the point of the movie, right? This one is getting a limited release through Music Box Films, and you can find the list of theaters it will be playing at HERE.