As you may have noticed, I normally am not the one to review discs.  I don’t own a lot of movies, but I make an exception in the case of movies by Wes Anderson, because they are perfectly re-watchable to me:  with Moonrise Kingdom that proves to be the case.  I saw it on the big screen when it came to my city, but I was worried about the home watching experience because this film is even more atmospheric than the rest of Anderson’s live action offers.

First of all,  I was a bit off put because this disc pulls “fresh previews” from the internet at the start.  I confess that I had not seen that feature before, and was pleased to see it could be skipped via the menu button.  The menu was simple, fresh and easy to navigate.  It was also the most not annoying menu that I’ve seen in a while.  I could have lived in that menu, because I just want to live in Moonrise Kingdom.

This film is really served by Blu Ray,which was relieving.  Being a nostalgic flick set in the sixties on a (fictional) New England island the cinematography switches between Instagram feeling vignettes,  awesomely beautiful and lush fairy tale feeling moments, and the almost stage play like continuous shots that Anderson is famous for.  All this is beautifully rendered in the disc.  The score by Alexandre Desplat and the selections from Benjamin Britten also feature well… one of the best mixed movies I’ve watched at home for a while.

The story itself is very much a variation on the themes of alienation and identity… but done in a sweeter way than I’ve seen this director offer previously.  Roman Coppola co-wrote the script, and perhaps that is the difference… it’s missing Owen Wilson’s narrative snark.  The story is both too simple and too complex to go too far into without spoiling, but suffice it to say it is sweet, funny and tragic.  An orphan (an Khaki Scout camp escapee) and the privileged but disturbed daughter of two lawyers run away together during a hurricane threat, and the whole island embarks on finding them.  Of course, it’s never that simple.  The whole thing is narrated by Bob Balaban, with that ironic and sweet manner that only he can deliver.

One thing that I know people complain about is that Anderson is all style and no pay out.   To me, especially in this film,  Anderson is the teller of fables.  His world is just left of what our world is like, and yet it is completely familiar.  The disaffected characters are sometimes a bit too distant, but the beautiful part of this film is that the protagonists are children, and are inherently perceived as being more vulnerable.  Unlike Margot Tenenbaum, Suzy’s ways of acting out seem to be a bit more realistic, a bit less odd and privileged.  Sam’s plan is plausible, and never gets to the extremes of Max Fischer.  In these ways, Moonrise Kingdom may be his most accessible film.  However, if you are not the kind of viewer who can “buy in” to a fable realm that looks a lot like ours,  a romanticized nostalgic trip through ideals and failures,  then you probably will not enjoy it much.

The cast is simply amazing.  As some of our long time readers may know, I adore Edward Norton.  He completely engages with this script in a beautiful way.  Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and the two child leads are brought together beautifully, along with the usual suspects from Anderson’s casting favorites.  The real surprise of the movie is Bruce Willis, who seemed like an odd choice for this sort of film, but brings a complex and understated performance that is the heart of the movie in many ways.

As far as extras, this initial release is a little lacking.  What amounts to an extended trailer, and some quick promo material does not really scratch my itch for behind the scenes material.  Even Bill Murray giving a backstage tour, though the highlight of the “extras” as it is amusing, is not particularly informative.  I’m hoping that later releases have more interviews with the cast, and maybe a mini-doc on the concept art (although I realize I’m spoiled by the thoroughness of the Criterion Collection Royal Tenenbaums).  Still, I would recommend this Blu Ray to anyone who wants to live in Moonrise Kingdom.

Tonight, in honor of the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, select theaters aired sneak peeks at the beautiful remastering and special features of the Season 1 Blu-Ray.   To show off this hi-def polished version, the episodes “Where No One Has Gone Before” and “Datalore” were viewed, and let me tell you it was a super treat for the whole audience… and  make no mistake, the theater was packed.

The first featurette started to delve into what goes in to remastering a film that is a mix of both practical (physical) effects and models, along with early stage computer generated images and green screen.  It’s overwhelming to realize what went in to the original series, not to mention what it takes to remaster it.  Fortunately, this is the Roddenberry people and not the Lucas people, so there’s great loyalty to the original vision and the charming attributes of the sci-fi at the time.  Instead of making new/more complex effects,  there’s an amazing amount of sharpening existing effects, or changing them just enough to not look cheesy.

Before you start to complain that the cheesiness is the charm, think about it and don’t kid yourself.  I’ve recently re-watched the bulk of TNG on Netflix.  The special effects do NOT hold up.  They are incredible for their time, but are missing a precision that would give them longevity.  For instance, the intelligent crystal in “Datalore” originally was computer generated in a pretty good way for 1986, but definitely looks like the background of one of my school pictures around the same era… very “lazer beem” if you know what I mean.  In the remastered version, it is exactly the same shape, colors and has the same pulsing effects, but it now looks like a crystal.  It was gorgeous.  The whole audience gasped.  With touch ups like that, it’s tempting to forget the little nudges that make the experience better.  The screen at the front of the bridge no longer looks like green screen, it’s been finessed to look as they intended but were not able to do at the time.  It’s still 80′s-tastic, but more palatable.

As far as cheese, it’s all still there. There’s some gorgeous outtakes and screen tests that add to the fun; lots of footage that previously was only available in bootleg VHS form if you were a true Trekker. I thought they did a good job at this teaser event of mixing the stars of the show along with the production crew, the effects people, and the remaster team.  It did it’s job well because now I TOTALLY want the Blu-Ray, not just for the show but the extra content.  Season 2 was announced to be released remastered as well, and THAT season with have a 25 year reunion interview footage with the entire principal cast, of which the preview was tantalizing.

I went planning to enjoy the event, but also planning on resisting any desire for the Blu-Rays, especially with the whole series on Netflix… but was surprised at how beautiful the visuals and sound was, how fun it is to still yell “Shut Up, Westley”, and determined to buy the series in the new format and watch all the extras.

Because the Phantom is Forever:

Love Never Dies – Blu Ray Review

By Jessica Dwyer

Believe it or not I’m a complete and hopeless romantic.  It started when I was younger and was no doubt helped along by my unabashed love for Phantom of the Opera.  This only got worse when the amazing Andrew Lloyd Weber musical came into being and I was forever lost to the “music of the night.”

I wasn’t the only one of course.  POTO  was a worldwide phenomenon and is still going strong.  Michael Crawford passed his crown (or more to the point, mask) on to many an amazing talent over the years who took on the role of The Phantom not to mention the beautiful angels of music to take on the mantel of Christine from Sarah Brightman.

But for many phans (as the fans of the musical call themselves) the story didn’t end with the mob knocking down the Phantom’s door and Meg finding the mask.  It carried on in numerous fan publications and novels.  We couldn’t let The Phantom die.  Nor could Andrew Lloyd Weber it would seem.

A few years ago Weber did something that is rare, to downright never heard of in the annals of musical theater.  He penned a sequel to one of the biggest musicals of all time.  The result is a continuation of the tale of the Phantom and Christine set about ten years after the events in the original story.  It takes place in Coney Island, New York and is titled Love Never Dies.  The story follows the Phantom as he builds his own empire of freaks and magic amongst the carnival like atmosphere of Coney Island in the early 1900’s.  He’s unable to write as he used to and longs for Christine. 

He lures her back to him along with Raoul and their son with the promise of a fortune for just one performance.  Raoul has managed to squander away all their money on gambling and drinking.  Things weren’t the picture book romance they had dreamed when last we saw them leaving The Phantom behind.   While Raoul and Christine were living their lives, Meg Giry and her mother saved the Phantom and together they came to America where they have built his empire of Phantasma.   Jealousy and rivalry and love all come together during the events that unfold, leading to tragedy and redemption.

LND’s was updated from the original production.  The musical has been tightened up time wise, music and costumes, as well as entire songs removed.  The changes are indeed perfect and LND’s is a worthy sequel to POTO.  The version on the Blu Ray is the Australian production and is truly awesome.

The Blu Ray production is lush and beautiful.  It’s downright striking in some parts and this is only enhanced by Ben Lewis who is one of the tallest Phantoms I’ve ever seen.  He’s got a presence that is at once intimidating but will move you to tears in certain scenes.  Anna O’Byrne as Christine looks like a living porcelain doll.  She’s got the voice of an angel as well.  The sets are amazing, I can’t begin to do them justice or figure out how they managed to do all of this on a single stage.  It’s ingenious to watch and is gorgeous.

The music of course is also beautiful.  The key pieces being the title of the musical which O’Byrne soars with.  “Till I Hear You Sing” is as desperate and powerful as ever and if you want to see a love scene play out on stage the duet of “Beneath a Moonless Sky” will knock your socks off.   Simon Gleeson as Raoul shouldn’t be forgotten nor should Sharon Millerchip as Meg.  The entire cast is a joy to watch.

I absolutely loved this production and the Blu Ray is truly the way to go to enjoy it and to see the details that the cast and crew went to bring this to life.  If you are a fan of musicals and certainly if you are a fan of Phantom, then you need to add this to your collection.

Here are some clips for you to enjoy.

Immortals was an artfully created flick by Tarsem, the man behind films like The Cell and The Fall.  While I was disappointed with the lack of Greek God’s in action, what we got far outshined the lackluster Clash of the Titans (which has basically redone the plot of Immortals with the soon to be released Wrath of the Titans.) 

That being said, Immortals was a far more grown up and stunning tale of Greek myth and the Blu Ray release is just as stunning.  Packed with goodies as well as alternate scenes its a beautiful film and worth picking up with it hits stores on March 6th.

Check out the specs below:

EPIC BATTLES COME TO LIFE ON STUNNING BLU-RAY

Featuring Alternate Beginning and Endings Visually-Striking Film Explodes on 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack,Blu-ray Triple Play and DVD March 6

Summary: One brave warrior, touched by the gods, must overcome all odds to save mankind from a merciless and powerful tyrant when IMMORTALS comes to Blu-ray and DVD on March 6th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Directed by visionary filmmaker Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall) and written by Charles Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides, the home entertainment release is chock-full of must-see bonus features including an alternate beginning, two alternate endings, deleted scenes and an amazing graphic novel, creating the ultimate viewing experience.
From the producers of 300, Mark Canton, Gianni Nunnari, and Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, IMMORTALS explodes off the screen with action-packed battles, mythological adventure and an all-star cast including: Henry Cavill (Superman: Man of Steel), Luke Evans (Robin Hood), Kellan Lutz (Twilight), Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Stephen Dorff (Public Enemies), John Hurt (Hellboy) and Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2). In this epic tale of vengeance and destiny, power-mad King Hyperion (Rourke) threatens to destroy all of humanity on his maniacal quest to obtain the ultimate weapon – the legendary Epirus Bow that gives the power to unleash war on both Heaven and Earth.  But Theseus (Cavill), a heroic young villager chosen by the gods, rises up to stop Hyperion’s brutal rampage.  With supernatural help from the beautiful oracle Phaedra (Pinto), Theseus embraces his destiny and leads a fierce band of warriors in a desperate fight for the future of mankind.
IMMORTALS is available on Blu-ray and DVD on March 6th and was theatrically-released by Relativity Media on November 11, 2011.

SPECIAL FEATURES (Blu-ray plus Digital Copy):

• Alternate Opening
  • Young Theseus
• Two Alternate Endings
  • This Is Our Last Embrace
  • Theseus Kills Hyperion
• Behind-The-Scenes FeaturettesDeleted Scenes
  • It’s No Myth
  • Caravaggio Meets Fight Club: Tarsem’s Vision
• Immortals: Gods & Heroes (Graphic Novel)

SPECIAL FEATURES (DVD):

• Deleted Scenes
• Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes
  • It’s No Myth

em

Zorro The Complete Series:

Review by Jessica Dwyer

Back in the early 90’s The Family Channel had a series that made the little girl in me still squeal with delight.  And to this day I will always love Zorro.   Sure it was cheesy but it was fun and it brought back the character that inspired Batman and countless other masked good guys.

I never thought in a million years I’d ever get a chance to see the show on anything other than VHS recordings made WAY back then.  But now thanks to A&E, Zorro The Complete Series is available.  And when they say complete, they mean complete.  All four seasons of the show plus a bonus DVD with extras including The Mark of Zorro starring Douglas Fairbanks are included in the box set.

This is a must for fans of the character.  The series was a heck of a lot of fun and Duncan Regehr was an awesome man in black.  Oh and did you know that Daniel Craig was in an episode?  Bond and Zorro…together at last.

The set comes packaged nicely with each season in its own case as well as the extra features disc.  88 episodes in all with an unaired pilot included on the extras.

My only complaint about this set is the film quality of the episodes.  I don’t know how well that could have been helped though depending on the original prints etc.  It’s grainy and like watching…well…a VHS copy of the show.  But I can look past this since I’m just happy someone cared enough about the show to release it.   It’s like reliving my childhood a bit watching the show.  I make no excuses for the glee that comes over me watching Regehr be debonair and wearing a cape.

A&E did a great job putting this together.  The extras disc with the Douglas Fairbanks silent film also includes trailers for the Zorro serial and an episode of the 1930’s serial.  There are behind the scenes photos from the TV series and other goodies too.  All in all, this is a great tribute to an a classic character and a fun show that introduced him to an entire generation of fans.  If you have kids and want to share something special with them or if you’re just a big kid yourself (like me) pick up Zorro The Complete Series.  I recommend it.

Wild Target has Bill Nighy playing a hitman.  If you need to know more than that to want to watch it, well I can show you the trailer.  But really, do you need more? Okay how about Martin Freeman also playing a hitman who’s on Nighy’s trail.  Oh the fact that Rupert Everett is in it alongside Rupert Grint as Nighy’s newly found apprentice.  For all the fans of British comedy out there Wild Target has just about everything you could ask for.   

Sound good?  Well that’s great because Fangirl Magazine will be giving away two copies of Wild Target to celebrate the film hitting DVD.  If that doesn’t make you excited….well here’s that promised trailer.

Here’s a bit more info for you.

Join a star-studded cast in a hilarious action-packed comedy as
WILD TARGET arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 8th!

 Summary: Critically-acclaimed as an uproarious and not-to-be-missed hit, WILD TARGET shoots onto Blu-ray and DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on February 8.  This fast-paced British comedy aims to kill with lively performances by Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1), Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria, The Devil Wears Prada), Rupert Grint (Harry Potter Series) and Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding, Shrek 2).

 From director Jonathan Lynn (The Whole Nine Yards) comes this lively British remake of the 1993 French hit “Cible Emouvante.”  Victor Maynard (Nighy) is a middle-aged, solitary assassin whose professional routine is interrupted when he falls for his intended hit, Rose (Blunt).  When he spares Rose’s life, Victor inadvertently acquires a young apprentice, Tony (Grint). Believing Victor to be a private detective, his two new companions tag along, while he attempts to thwart the murderous intentions of his unhappy client, resulting in comedic mayhem.

Wild Target is available in 1-Disc Blu-ray and 1-Disc DVD for the suggested retail prices of   $29.99 / $22.98 respectively.  Discs are available only in the U.S.

Wild Target Blu-ray

• Feature Film

• On Target with Emily Blunt

Wild Target  DVD

• Feature Film

• On Target with Emily Blunt

The Alien Anthology

Blu Ray Review

By Jessica Dwyer

Alien and its subsequent sequels is one of the all time classics of horror/sci-fi.  It’s a hybrid of the two and its some of the best of both.

This Blu-Ray release is one of the most highly anticipated of the year and with good reason.  It’s so jammed pack full of goodies and extras for fans of the series or fans of what Blu-Ray can really do when put to good use.

Alien, Aliens, Alien3, and Alien Resurrection are all here.  Each disc is packed with extras, tons of them.  And not only that, there are two additional discs in the back of the slick slip case that have even more things on them for you to watch.  So here’s the breakdown (and trust me it’s a lot):

 DISC ONE: ALIEN

• 1979 Theatrical Version
• 2003 Director’s Cut with Ridley Scott Introduction
• Audio Commentary by Director Ridley Scott, Writer Dan O’Bannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings, Actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt
• Audio Commentary (for Theatrical Cut only) by Ridley Scott
• Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
• Composer’s Original Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC TWO: ALIENS

• 1986 Theatrical Version
• 1991 Special Edition with James Cameron Introduction
• Audio Commentary by Director James Cameron, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Alien Effects Creator Stan Winston, Visual Effects Supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, Miniature Effects Supervisor Pat McClung, Actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
• Final Theatrical Isolated Score by James Horner
• Composer’s Original Isolated Score by James Horner
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC THREE: ALIEN³

• 1992 Theatrical Version
• 2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint Version)
• Audio Commentary by Cinematographer Alex Thomson, B.S.C., Editor Terry Rawlings, Alien Effects Designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., Actors Paul McGann and Lance Henriksen
• Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Elliot Goldenthal
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC FOUR: ALIEN RESURRECTION

• 1997 Theatrical Version
• 2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre Jeunet Introduction 
• Audio Commentary by Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Editor Hervé Schneid, A.C.E., Alien Effects Creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Supervisor Pitof, Conceptual Artist Sylvain Despretz, Actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser
• Final Theatrical Isolated Score by John Frizzell
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC FIVE: MAKING THE ANTHOLOGY

In addition to over 12 hours of candid, in-depth documentaries, you now have the ability to go even deeper into Alien Anthology history with nearly five hours of additional video Enhancement Pods created exclusively for this collection, presenting behind-the-scenes footage, raw dailies and interview outtakes from all four films. At topical points in the documentaries, you may access these pods to enhance your experience, or watch them on their own from the separate Enhancement Pod index.

The Beast Within: Making ALIEN

• Star Beast: Developing the Story
• The Visualists: Direction and Design
• Truckers in Space: Casting
• Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978
• The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet
• The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design
• Future Tense: Editing and Music
• Outward Bound: Visual Effects
• A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film
• Enhancement Pods

Superior Firepower: Making ALIENS

• 57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
• Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
• Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
• This Time It’s War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
• The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
• Bug Hunt: Creature Design
• Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
• Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
• The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
• The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
• Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
• Enhancement Pods

Wreckage and Rage: Making ALIEN³

•  
  • Development Hell: Concluding the Story
  • Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent Ward’s Vision
  • Stasis Interrupted: David Fincher’s Vision
  • Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger’s Redesign
  • The Color of Blood: Pinewood Studios, 1991
  • Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
  • The Downward Spiral: Creative Differences
  • Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox Studios, L.A. 1992
  • Optical Fury: Visual Effects
  • Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing and Sound
  • Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
• Enhancement Pods

One Step Beyond: Making ALIEN RESURRECTION

• From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
• French Twist: Direction and Design
• Under the Skin: Casting and Characterization
• Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
• In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
• Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
• Genetic Composition: Music
• Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated Imagery
• A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography
• Critical Juncture: Reaction to the Film
• Enhancement Pods

• MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to Access and Control Enhancement Pods

DISC SIX: THE ANTHOLOGY ARCHIVES

ALIEN

• Pre-Production
  • First Draft Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon
  • Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and Notes
  • Storyboard Archive
  • The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art Portfolio
  • Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with Select Director Commentary
  • Cast Portrait Gallery
• Production
  • The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle Sequence with Commentary
  • Video Graphics Gallery
  • Production Image Galleries
  • Continuity Polaroids
  • The Sets of Alien
  • H.R. Giger’s Workshop Gallery
• Post-Production and Aftermath
  • Additional Deleted Scenes
  • Image & Poster Galleries
• Experience in Terror
• Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
• The Alien Legacy
• American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott Q&A
• Trailers & TV Spots

ALIENS

• Pre-Production
  • Original Treatment by James Cameron
  • Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics with Commentary
  • Storyboard Archive
  • The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
  • Cast Portrait Gallery
• Production
  • Production Image Galleries
  • Continuity Polaroids
  • Weapons and Vehicles
  • Stan Winston’s Workshop
  • Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
  • Video Graphics Gallery
  • Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers
• Post-Production and Aftermath
  • Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
  • Deleted Scene Montage
  • Image Galleries
  • Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
  • Main Title Exploration
  • Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
  • Trailers & TV Spots

ALIEN³

• Pre-Production
  • Storyboard Archive
  • The Art of Arceon
  • The Art of Fiorina
• Production
  • Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse Sequence
  • EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette with Commentary
  • Production Image Galleries
  • A.D.I.’s Workshop
• Post-Production and Aftermath
  • Visual Effects Gallery
  • Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
• Alien³ Advance Featurette
• The Making of Alien³ Promotional Featurette
• Trailers & TV Spots

ALIEN RESURRECTION

• Pre-Production
  • First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon
  • Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop with Commentary
  • Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and Makeup
  • Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Rehearsals
  • Storyboard Archive
  • The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character Designs
  • The Art of Resurrection: Image Galleries
  • Production
    • Production Image Galleries
    • A.D.I.’s Workshop
    • Post-Production and Aftermath
      • Visual Effects Gallery
      • Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive
      • HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
      • Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
      • Trailers & TV Spots

ANTHOLOGY

• Two Versions of Alien Evolution
• The Alien Saga
• Patches and Logos Gallery
• Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
• Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns Collection
• Parodies
• Dark Horse Cover Gallery
• Patches and Logos Gallery
• MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience

  Got all that?  Yes, it’s what I lovingly say is a “shit-ton” of extras.

So yes, this collection gets glowing marks for nearly everything.  Its just got so much you could spend an entire weekend just watching everything and maybe not see it all.

The MU-TH-ER Mode is really neat and packed full of trivia for those of us who’ve seen Aliens enough times we won’t mind text on the screen.  The mode itself is available on all the films (and it can be a bit intrusive.)  But it does add a lot to the experience for the movie buff.

Out of all of the films, the first one is probably the best quality picture wise.  It looks practically new, not 30 years old and a beautiful transfer. 

I have to say I was disappointed with Alien Resurrection’s appearance since it was the newest of the films.  It looked grainy and dark to me, which was sad as the film has a beautiful style to it.  I forgot how slapstick some that movie was, and the newly added credit sequence only adds to it.  Aliens looks good, but not as good as the first film.  I was surprised by this too, although it is a clear and brighter picture. 

Other than the picture lacking a bit, the other problem with these discs are the load times.  THEY ARE HUGE.  Now this is no doubt due to them being packed full of stuff.  Just be prepared for this.  I have a newer LG Blu Ray player and it still took a while.  There’s also the fact that I was having issues with switching from MU-TH-ER mode to regular mode.  It would restart the movies from the beginning. And boy did that get old.  Granted, that might be user error, but I don’t think so. 

So the other issue…the price tag.  The Anthology comes in at a hefty $139.99 MSRP.  But I can tell you that this is worth it, especially if you haven’t bought any other editions of the films before…or yours are really old.  If you have a geek (be it a horror or a sci-fi…or both) that you need to find a great Christmas present for this year, this is the one to get them. 

The Anthology hits shelves this week, right before Halloween.  So before we all watch Walking Dead, I can’t think of a better way to spend the Saturday before Halloween then watching the Alien flicks in this beautiful format.

Fangirl Approved!

Here, piggy-piggy

Pighunt

By J Fountain

Of all the giant killer pig movies, Pighunt is perhaps the best.  The reason: the film refuses to simply retread the clichés of Razorback (1984) [essentially a pop music video with a killer boar] and Chaw (2009) [essentially Jaws with a pig…and set on land, otherwise the pig would drown], and move in a different direction.  But first, let’s set the scene.  The movie opens with a hunter being chased by something and betting caught.  So far, so run-of-the-mill.  The credit sequence kicks in with some naïve paintings of a happy-land style liberation of Iraq.  This is actually an important underpinning for the film, so pay attention.  We then are introduced to young former soldier John Hickman (Travis Aaron Wade) and his sexy Asian girlfriend, Brook (Tina Huang), who we soon learn is the artist responsible for the painting.  John is the hunter’s nephew, and has decided to gather a group of his friends (none of whom really seem to get on) to go to his deceased uncle’s cabin in the woods and hunt some pigs.  It’s never really clear if he knows what has killed his uncle, but he does seem to have an ulterior motive. 

Joining him and Brook on the trip are loud-mouthed wannabe soldier Ben (Howard Johnson Jr), laconic Wayne (Ravij Shah) and lardy dog-lover Quincy (Trevor Bullock).  And Wolfgang the dog.  As a dogy-daddy myself, my heart sank when I saw that a dog was involved in the movie.  Things never end well for the dog in movies like this.  The group set out into the backwoods, stopping off at a stereotypical roadside convenience store for directions.  During this little break, the group meet Kukri-wielding hippy overlord Cimi and a couple of his drugged up beauties, and manage to kill a snake.  Once back on their journey, they pass through the territory of the local clan of inbred hillbilly rednecks, who are John’s former friends.  However, the meeting is brief as the city-folk drive straight through, sharing only suspicious glances with the locals. 

Once they reach the cabin, it seems as if John’s uncle was a little cracked; the place is festooned with skull, antlers, newspaper cuttings and various unpleasant phrases such as “Death Walks On All Fours” daubed on the walls.  Sensibly, the group decide to camp outside.  As the sun comes up, John and Brook are rudely awoken by two of the locals, Ricky and Jake.  It turns out that they and John share a rocky history; John gave Ricky a bad scar when they were children.  There is something of a rivalry between them.  While the men (save John) posture and swagger, and Brook suffers lecherous comments, Quincy tries to make friends and score some drugs at the same time. 

This is not a functional group.  Setting out to find the main wallowing ground of the wild pigs, things don’t go according to plan; a pig cripples Wayne, and relations deteriorate further when a crop of high quality marijuana plants are found on John’s property.  The deterioration of relations leads to a gunshot, and a very pissed of redneck.  Realising things have begun to spiral out of control, John decides to abort his mission of vengeance in favour of getting his friends home safely.  The group splits up…but those who survive will find themselves at the mercy of not just a giant, mutated pig, but also those who worship it…

 This is a great, entertaining movie.  From the opening shot of a sunrise, to the bloody finale, it doesn’t really stop moving for long.  Channelling the best of various exploitation movies from the 70s (indeed, a strong 70s vibe runs through the whole film), such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Death trap, both incidentally Tobe Hooper films, it doesn’t need the gimmicks of retrosploitation fare such as Deathproof and Planet Terror; it achieves it’s goals through an excellent verisimilitude, aided and abetted by wonderfully grimy cinematography, and expert direction. 

You can almost smell the rednecks, feel the mud in your eyes, and taste…well, taste the pig.  There is a fantastic musical sting that twangs into action whenever the heroes do, and it makes you want to yell “The South Will Rise Again”, even if you come from a middle-class British background.  Best if you don’t shout that, of course, or the neighbours may start to wonder what’s going on.  There is a subtext in the movie, perhaps more than one.  There is something in this film about the visceral nature of Man, and the fallacy in following the path of others.  More than that, there seems to be a comment about war.  Is this movie a metaphor for the war in the Middle East…no, but it wants to be.  There is something there, but it is so subtle as to be almost irrelevant.  That being said, the conflict between the three groups: city-folk, rednecks, and hippies, is well played.  Anyone who has seen Deliverance knows not to screw around with the locals, but hippies? 

There are some good performances in this film:  Travis Aaron Wade is excellent as the slightly distant, often lukewarm John; Tina Huang is excellent as the feisty and more than capable Brook, and Howard Johnson Jr is believable as a bravado-drunk loud-mouth out to prove himself a man.  Less remarkable are the rednecks, who seem to have fallen out of any number of “crazed-local” style films (with the exception of Nick Tagas and Jason Foster as Ricky and Jake, who are slight less broadly drawn). 

 The best thing about the film is, as has been said, that it refuses to bow down to established clichés.  What could have been a run of the mill giant pig movie with the whole hunter-prey dichotomy vacillating away at it’s centre does something more interesting: yes, the hunter-prey dynamic is there, but it is not focused on the pig.  The pig is merely the catalyst; the true dynamics of the piece are down to human interrelations and their failures.  Killing the pig won’t solves the problem, because the giant mutated killer pig isn’t the real problem: we are.  Many other movies have tried to present this philosophy and most fail because they flag the issues then try to drown the audience in their moralising and viewpoints.  Pig Hunt is not that blatant.  It is subtle in it’s voice.  Well, as subtle as a movie dealing with a giant mutated killer pig, psycho rednecks, and weird hippy-cults can be, anyway.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Blu Ray Review

By Jessica Dwyer

No one put the cult in cult classic quite like Rocky Horror.  There’s really nothing more I can say about the beauty that is Tim Curry in fishnets and high heels or Richard O’Brien and his gaunt lunacy.  35 years is a lot of time (warp) and the movie and the music still stand up.

So for the 35th anniversary 20th Century Fox has released the film on Blu Ray and it is quite possibly one of the best I’ve seen.

The packaging is in a book filled with some beautiful shots of the actors and Curry in particular in glammed out glory.  The Blu Ray is packed too with not the least of which is a beautiful, clear presentation of the film.  So clear in fact I noticed things I’ve never seen before on the darker regular DVD’s and VHS copies.

Within the Blu Ray is the ability to watch a ShadowCast in the bottom right of your screen while the movie plays (just like in the theater).  There’s a callback track in the top right that tells you what you should be shouting.  There’s a prop box in the bottom left so you don’t have to ruin your living room and that you can activate to throw rice, toast, shoot water, etc at the appropriate times.  Commentary tracks by O’Brien and Patricia Quinn, deleted scenes, a Rocky-oke (kareoke) feature, alternate endings, just TONS of stuff and featurettes too.

There are only two issues I have with the release.  One is the fact that (and this may just be my player but it’s a pretty new one) the load times are insane.  The disc is packed with content and it shows.  It also seemed to get confused a couple of times on what it was trying to do.

The other problem was I was hoping that the 25th Anniversary Special would be included on the disc.  I loved that thing, not the least of which was due to this (click the picture to see the video):

There were other performances too.  But damn Giles.  Anyway, that was a neat special and would have been a great addition to an already awesome release.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 35th anniversary edition is awesome fun and just in time for Halloween.  Frank-N-Furter and the gang look absolutely beautiful.  This is one that you need to pick up.   MSRP $34.99 and worth it.

The entire 24 experience is coming to DVD this December, just in time for the holidays.  Nothing says Christmas like a good gunshot to the knee!!!  The series may be over, but the film franchise is just beginning.  Countdown to the New Year with 24.

PIONEERING, EMMY AWARD®-WINNING SERIES ARRIVES
DECEMBER 7 ON BLU-RAY AND DVD…DON’T MISS A MINUTE!

The Final Day Coming To Blu-ray And DVD & The Complete Series In A Collectible DVD Box Set

LOS ANGELES, CA (May 25, 2010) – Time may be running out on 24, one of the most innovative and acclaimed dramas on television, but fans can relive every heart-pounding minute of the show’s final season when “24” Season Eight arrives on December 7, 2010 to Blu-ray and DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Additionally on December 7, fans will also have a chance to experience all 8 days of Jack Bauer when “24” The Complete Series arrives in a collectible DVD box set.

“24” The Complete Series is a must-own collectible box set, that includes Seasons 1-8, and bursting with bonus features including deleted scenes; behind-the-scenes footage; a comprehensive retrospective that looks back at the show’s unforgettable eight seasons; an alternate ending for the series finale and much more.

In “24” Season Eight, New York City is the backdrop and Emmy Award^® winner Kiefer Sutherland is back as rugged counter-terrorist, Jack Bauer. Just when he thought he was leaving the dangerous life behind to be with his daughter and her family, Jack is once again called on by CTU to uncover a Russian extremist plot to assassinate an Islamic leader during peace negotiations with U.S. President Taylor. Fan favorites Elisha Cuthbert, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Cherry Jones, and Annie Wersching are joined by new faces Anil Kapoor, Katee Sackoff, Bob Gunton and Freddie Prinze Jr. for Jack’s final, nail-biting 24 hours protecting America’s freedom.