Archive for the 'Blu-ray Reviews' Category
June 23rd, 2015 by Brandon Peters
A gift from Heaven…or a curse from Hell! Scream Factory presents a quartet of supernatural thrillers with brand new HD transfers. All part of the Scream Factory All Night Horror Marathon and All Night Horror Marathon 2 releases on DVD in 2013,fans called for better video transfers and here they are! The Outing & The Godsendand Cellar Dweller & Catacombs make their Blu-ray debut on July 14, 2015. This is exciting to be seeing them make the jump, and maybe one day the remaining four films (C’mon The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray!!!) will get to see double feature releases too. This review will be focusing on the two films coming from the Volume 2 release; the cryptic and creature featuring of Cellar Dweller and Catacombs. Continue reading ‘Cellar Dweller / Catacombs – Double Feature (Blu-ray Review)’
June 22nd, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
A Foreign Service Officer (Milla Jovovich) newly posted to the American embassy in London is charged with stopping terrorists from getting into the US. After surviving a vicious attack on the embassy, she finds herself framed for crimes she didn’t commit and racing to elude assassins while trying to clear her name and stop a large-scale terrorist attack set for New Year’s Eve. SURVIVOR is directed by James McTeigueand also stars Pierce Brosnan, Dylan McDermott, Angela Bassett and Robert Forster. Continue reading ‘Survivor (Blu-ray Review)’
June 22nd, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
‘Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued’ is a film by director Sam Jones that accompanies the album ‘Lost On The River’ released by Harvest Records in November 2014. The project focuses on sixteen sets of lyrics that were written by Bob Dylan during the legendary ‘The Basement Tapes’ sessions in 1967 but only recently rediscovered. Under the auspices of producer T-Bone Burnett and with the approval of Bob Dylan an extraordinary collective of musicians was brought together to set the lyrics to music: Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford. The film presents an exclusive and intimate look at the making of the ‘Lost On The River’ album set against the important and historical cultural backdrop of Bob Dylan and The Band’s original ‘The Basement Tapes’. Continue reading ‘Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued (Blu-ray Review)’
June 20th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
A cocky businessman and big-game hunter (Michael Douglas) hires an earnest young guide (Jeremy Irvine) to take him hunting in the Mojave Desert. Far from civilization, the unthinkable happens when another outdoorsman is mistaken for game and accidentally shot. Things take an even worse turn when the guide refuses to be drawn into the dishonest cover-up, and must now run for his life before the hunter – the elements – do him in. Continue reading ‘Beyond the Reach (Blu-ray Review)’
June 20th, 2015 by Brian White
I purposely chose to tackle the Blu-ray review of The Lazarus Effect for two main reasons. First, I love stories about mad scientists. There’s something about them playing God in the real world that just wildly appeals to me and curdles my blood. Secondly, I feel like Anakin Skywalker at times. I truly do want to stop people from dying, especially loved ones. For anyone familiar with the biblical tale of Lazarus or even the reference in Nolan’s Interstellar last year, the man came back from the dead. On any given day, that happening alone makes it a good one, no? Of course it does! So here we are. It’s not the biblical times, but it’s 2015 and we have a movie that caters to both my obsession with raising the dead and people playing mad scientists. So why shouldn’t I want to review The Lazarus Effect? Now you’re getting it. Continue reading ‘The Lazarus Effect (Blu-ray Review)’
June 19th, 2015 by Gerard Iribe
In this hilarious drink-like-a-fish-out-of-water comedy, Vince Vaughn stars as a hard-working entrepreneur who travels to Europe with his two associates (Dave Franco and Tom Wilkinson) to close the most important business deal of their lives. But the journey quickly spins out of control as the hapless trio encounters all kinds of crazy obstacles, including Oktoberfest bar brawls, hotel foul-ups, foreign GPS directions, and a global fetish festival. In the end, these guys gone wild might just land the deal…if they can survive the trip. bottoms up! Continue reading ‘Unfinished Business (Blu-ray Review)’
June 19th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
A gift from Heaven…or a curse from Hell! Scream Factory presents a quartet of supernatural thrillers with brand new HD transfers. All part of the Scream Factory All Night Horror Marathon and All Night Horror Marathon 2 releases on DVD in 2013,fans called for better video transfers and here they are! The Outing & The Godsendand Cellar Dweller & Catacombs make their Blu-ray debut on July 14, 2015. This is exciting to be seeing them make the jump, and maybe one day the remaining four films (C’mon The Dungeonmaster Blu-ray!!!) will get to see double feature releases too. This review will be focusing on the two films coming from the Volume 1 release; the super campy The Outing and The Godsend. Continue reading ‘The Outing / The Godsend – Double Feature (Blu-ray Review)’
June 18th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Academy Award® winner Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables, The Devil Wears Prada) and Johnny Flynn (Something In The Air) star as strangers who connect under unlikely circumstances when Song One releases on Blu-ray and DVD March 24 from Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) and The Film Arcade. The film has been available on Digital HD since January 23. Set against the backdrop of Brooklyn, New York’s vibrant music scene, the “delicate drama” (Variety) is written and directed by first time filmmaker Kate Barker-Froyland and produced by Hathaway and Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs). Also starring Academy Award® winner Mary Steenburgen (The Help) and Ben Rosenfield (“Boardwalk Empire”), Song One features original music composed by indie duo Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice, with live performances by a vast group of popular artists within the thriving New York music community, including Sharon Van Etten, The Felice Brothers, Paul Whitty, Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, Cass Dillon and Lola Kirke. Continue reading ‘Song One (Blu-ray Review)’
June 17th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Academy Award nominee Mariel Hemmingway (Best Supporting Actress, Manhattan) stars as Christine, the school teacher girlfriend of lead Kurt Russell who will become a pawn in a frightening game of cat & mouse in The Mean Season. Director Phillip Borsos’ nail-biting thriller The Mean Season, from a screenplay by Leon Piedmont based on the novel In The Heat of the Summer by John Katzenbach, co-stars Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven, The Untouchables), Richard Masur (Risky Business, The Thing), Joe Pantoliano (Bound, TV’s The Sopranos) and Richard Bradford (Night Game). This early 80s thrill a minute is being release by the nice folks over at Olive Films. Continue reading ‘The Mean Season (Blu-ray Review)’
June 17th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
This July, beat the summer heat with two highly stylized horror thrillers, Dark Summerand Alien Outpost, both making their Blu-ray and DVD debut on July 7th, 2015 from Scream Factory, in partnership with IFC Midnight. Featuring exciting new bonus content including cast and crew interviews, audio commentaries, making of featurettes and more, both titles can be pre-ordered now from ShoutFactory.com. Today we are taking a look and reviewing the science fiction portion of the releases. That being the IFC Midnight thriller Alien Outpost. Directed by Jabbar Raisani (Visual Effects Supervisor on Game Of Thrones, Machete, Predators), the explosive Alien Outpost is a science-fiction gem with stunning effects and non-stop action. Continue reading ‘Alien Outpost (Blu-ray Review)’
June 17th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
After countless millennia of watching, waiting and stalking, the unholy creatures known as werewolves are poised to inherit the earth. Legendary horror icon Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings, Count Dracula) faces off against sexy cult favorite Sybil Danning (Battle Beyond the Stars, Chained Heat, Grindhouse) in this terrifying descent into a world of nightmares that turns out to be all too real! Fans of the popular HOWLINGS movies rejoice as the long-awaited Blu-ray edition of HOWLING II hits home entertainment shelves everywhere on July 14, 2015 from SCREAM FACTORY™. This high-anticipated release contains extensive bonus content, including all-new interviews with actor Reb Brown, actress Sybil Danning, special make-up effects artists Steve Johnson and Scott Wheeler, audio commentary, behind-the-scenes footage and much more! A must-have for movie collectors and horror enthusiasts. Continue reading ‘Howling II: Your Sister Is A Werewolf (Blu-ray Review)’
June 16th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Thrashin’ features Academy Award nominee Josh Brolin (Best Supporting Actor, Milk) in one of his earliest film performances. Thrashin’ also features special appearances by skating royalty Tony Hawk, Per Welinder and Rodney Mullen, along with cameos by Flea and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and director Catherine Hardwicke (Lords of Dogtown, Thirteen, Twilight). L.A.’s rival skateboarders – the laid back Ramp Locals and the punk rock Daggers – go to war for skateboard supremacy in the action-packed drama Thrashin’. Directed by David Winters (Code Name Vegeance, Mission Kill), written by Paul Brown and Alan Sacks, and co-starring Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks, Of Mice and Men), Brooke McCarter (The Lost Boys) and Chuck McCann (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter). Continue reading ‘Thrashin’ (Blu-ray Review)’
June 16th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Clown dolls. Witches. Hasselhoff. What more could you want? Prepare yourself for one of the most bizarre double bills imaginable with Ghosthouse and Witchery! Released in Italy as part of the infamous La Casa series, these two highly unusual horror films come to Blu-ray on June 30, 2015 from Scream Factory. Ghosthouse. Witchery. A duplex of doom, brought to you on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory. Both bring a sense of 80s fun-horror elements to them along with some disturbing and creepy set pieces and scenes in their own right. And if you dig some good practical gore effects, they come with the package too. Both films definitely fit a theme and work great together in this nice double feature package from Scream Factory.
Continue reading ‘Ghosthouse / Witchery – Double Feature (Blu-ray Review)’
June 16th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
This Oscar-nominated feature from Argentina is an anthology film that has one writer/director (Damian Szifron) allowing audiences to have a look inside his mind, as he uses his talents to deliver 6 different stories, all of which serving as darkly comedic looks at how the notion of revenge and challenging societal norms in some manner can take a turn for the worse (or the better, depending on interpretation). The film is funny, maddening, sad, bizarre, and very entertaining. Now the Blu-ray is available for all to enjoy.
d Continue reading ‘Wild Tales (Blu-ray Review)’
June 16th, 2015 by Aaron Neuwirth
The Spy Who Loved Me is one of my favorite James Bond movies. It is easily the best of the Roger Moore entries, but also a fine example of how strong the more cinematically over-the-top versions of the world famous British spy can be. Kingsman: The Secret Service essentially functions as one of the more outlandish James Bond entries, albeit made up of different characters and stemming from a graphic novel world, with a style and tone fitting of the millennial age. Director Matthew Vaughn, along with his screenwriting partner Jane Goldman, clearly had fun developing and filming the sort of R-rated madness taking place in this self-aware action-comedy, but it also has some of the dry British humor and sensibilities that make it more than just a new take on the ‘spy spoof’ for regular movie goers and a series of in-jokes for the filmmakers and movie geeks invested in the entertaining work of filmmakers like Vaughn.
Continue reading ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service (Blu-ray Review)’
June 15th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
This July, beat the summer heat with two highly stylized horror thrillers, Dark Summerand Alien Outpost, both making their Blu-ray and DVD debut on July 7th, 2015 from Scream Factory, in partnership with IFC Midnight. Featuring exciting new bonus content including cast and crew interviews, audio commentaries, making of featurettes and more, both titles can be pre-ordered now from ShoutFactory.com. These are both movies that have come from a line of releases already through Scream Factory from the IFC Midnight label. Today we’ll be talking about Dark Summer starring Peter Stormare. Continue reading ‘Dark Summer (Blu-ray Review)’
June 14th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
In the distant future, mankind has forsaken global wars for battles of single combat. The world has been divided into two opposing super powers, with each side represented by trained champions. Their weapons are huge robotic machines, capable of battle on land, sea and in the air. From celebrated director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond) and executive producer Charles Band comes ROBOT JOX, a riveting sci-fi action adventure. Directed by Stuart Gordon, the film stars Gary Graham (TV’s Alien Nation), Anne-Marie Johnson (TV’s In The Heat of the Night, JAG), Paul Koslo (Voyage of the Damned), Robert Sampson (Re-Animator, The Dark Side of the Moon), Danny Kamekona (Hawaii Five-O, The Karate Kid, Part II), Hilary Mason (Dolls) and Michael Alldredge (Scarface) as Tex.
Continue reading ‘Robot Jox (Blu-ray Review)’
June 14th, 2015 by Brandon Peters
Stone Cold stars former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brian “The Boz” Bosworth in a film that’s wall-to-wall, knock down, knock out action. The supporting cast features William Forsythe (Once Upon A Time In America, The Devil’s Rejects), Arabella Holzbog (Across The Universe, Bad News Bears) and Sam McMurray (Raising Arizona) in a film directed by Craig R. Baxley (Dark Angel, Action Jackson) from a screenplay by Walter Doniger. As the psychotic leader of a biker gang in Stone Cold, co-star Lance Henriksen brings his distinctive menacing quality to a role that he’s successfully honed in a variety of films ranging from Near Dark to Alien 3. This awesome action ruckus has finally made its way to the glorious Blu-ray format from the wonderful people over at Olive Films. Continue reading ‘Stone Cold (Blu-ray Review)’
