Da Vinci’s Demons – The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)
From the mind of David S. Goyer (Dark Knight Trilogy, Blade Trilogy) comes the Starz original series Da Vinci’s Demons. I knew nothing of the show other than seeing the show’s title when scrolling on my tv channel guide between AMC and Showtime and thinking that was an interesting title. I don’t watch any shows on Starz as I was turned off by their production of Torchwood: Miracle Day and the other shows have kinda looked very “wannabe” to me (I have heard good things about Spartacus though, just never got to it). So when tasked with reviewing Da Vinci’s Demons, my expectations were set a bit lower. Little did I know, I had nothing really to worry about here. The show is a surprisingly engaging historical fantasy telling a fictionalized tale of Leonardo da Vinci during what is considered the “lost” years of his life (records and journals from this time in his life apparently have not survived). Continue reading ‘Da Vinci’s Demons – The Complete First Season (Blu-ray Review)’
This is one of the times of the year that many top ten lists will emerge. The summer movie season is about to come to a close and many people tend to list off their “top ten films of the summer”. This will lead to fun posts, as various writers provide reasons for what stuck out, what qualifies, which films were the worst, or why others were wrong about certain films, and I certainly love to read these varying opinions. Normally I would participate as well, given that I see so many films in the year and love to embrace the blockbusters just as much as the films in limited release, but this year feels a bit different. If I really wanted to, I probably could rank my ten favorite “big” films from the summer, but honestly my heart is not in it this year. There were a lot of missed opportunities, a lot of ambitious failures, many movies that were out and out bad ideas from the start, and some that were fun in the moment, but hardly ones that I would think back on. Given those feelings, this essay just seemed like a better idea.
For someone looking to grow some hair on his (or her) chest, Getaway is a real winner. Emanating testosterone through the entirety, the movie delivers all style and absolutely no substance. Plot and character development stay safely buckled up in the backseat, rarely making an appearance. If you make it through the first 20 minutes, you’ve seen the whole thing. 
For ten years, the world was asking for a sequel to David Cronenberg’s Scanners. And in 1991, Malofilm and Triton Pictures responded (twice). Okay, maybe not so much. Ten years following the original film a back to back set of sequels were released. This was during a period in the late 80s/early 90s when straight to video movies were becoming a hot trend. A lot of older movies (especially in the horror genre) were suddenly getting, a lot of the times, unintended sequels down this route (Silent Night Deadly Night and the Puppet Master sequels come to mind). Scanners somehow wound up a likely target and produced back to back ones. And a few years later, two more would spawn. For fans of the series or those nostalgic for their old video store days, Scream Factory has gotten a hold of and put to Blu-ray the first two sequels to Scanners for a double feature disc, before the original has even found a proper US release (it is available in other territories). 
I have to wonder sometimes how much time and consideration is put into the little details, before sending off the finished product and then being tackled by criticisms. Closed Circuit has plenty going for it at first glance. The film features a top notch cast, who are all putting forth reasonably good work as the characters they play. The premise is that of an interesting legal drama, set within the British justice system, which is not something American audiences see that much of in a wide release film. The problem revolves around the little details. The plot is entirely predictable, once the pieces are set in place, and little holes begin to emerge as the film carries on. Being a taut legal thriller and having good intentions is great, but adding up to something solid takes more than just having the big sections covered.
Everyone likes a good bonanza of a contest right?! Of course they do…especially when there’s free Blu-ray product involved! So I have a little secret to let you all in on. My favorite PR person in the whole wide world has hooked us up AGAIN! This time it’s a Blu-ray copy of the intriguing Da Vinci’s Demons: Season 1 to give away to one lucky reader. Could it be you? Ah…got your attention now, didn’t I? Well, hold your horses…you still have to enter our contest here to win. So why you’re at it, check out the full press release below on the Blu-ray of the hour here and read on to find out how you can win your very own copy. Good luck! 
I went into my viewing of Byzantium wanting to like it so much because of my love for the can do no wrong actress, in my opinion, Gemma Arterton. So the truth be told that whenever you do something like that you’re almost guaranteed to set yourself up for failure and utter disappointment (point in case Man of Steel this summer). And when that doesn’t happen, then by God that’s when you know you just experienced a damn miracle. No, Byzantium is not the second coming of Christ, but who in their right mind would compare such a revolutionary event like that to a film’s quality (unless we’re talking Fight Club)? However, if you go into Byzantium with a bloody thirsty seeking of re-experiencing another satisfying tale akin to that of Interview With The Vampire with societal emphasis on themes of brotherhood, okay motherhood, and what it’s really like mentally and socially to live for over two centuries, then I can’t imagine you could ever walk away from this one disappointed. That’s my story and I’m “staking” to it. 
Cockneys Vs Zombies comes to your home on Blu-ray next Tuesday from Scream Factory. This hilarious “irreverent comedy” features the likes of Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman, EastEnders), Honor Blackman (Goldfinger, Doctor Who), Alan Ford (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Harry Treadaway (Fish Tank, Control), Rasmus Hardiker (Lead Balloon, Saxondale), Georgia King (The New Normal, The Duchess), Jack Doolan (The Green Green Grass), Dudley Sutton (Lovejoy) and Richard Briers (The Good Life). I’ve reviewed the release already (
Y’all (my Texas accent is starting to protrude) start right here if you’re ever going to figure out where Batman got his mad detective skills from. That’s right y’all. Look no further than Argo, a cute little movie that won a few awards. And best of all, Warner Bros. has your best interest at heart this holiday season. Why? Because they are sparing no expenses and dropping a bomb on us with this Extended Edition of the film on the Blu-ray format complete with an extended cut of the film (another 9 minutes), new special features and a few collectible premiums. If that’s not enough to make you go heehaw, then I don’t know what is. Check out the enthralling press release below from Warner Bros. now and make sure you click 
October is box set month for Scream Factory. Not only will they be releasing the first 3 Amityville Horror films, they will make horror fans’ mouths wetter and wallets lighter with The Vincent Price Collection on October 22. Today they have released their detailed final list of bonus content for the release. They made an announcement a week ago that they intended to release the US cut of Witchfinder General (aka Conqueror Worm), but were unable to do so because of a legal issue. They could have released it, but would have had to cut a scene. Instead of compromising their product, they opted just to drop it. For fans, this is just another shining example of not selling us short on anything. This will be a grand release despite that. I can’t wait to revisit these! Preorder and a detailed look at the discs are below! 
Oh the world of computer-animated films. It’s no secret that somewhere along the line I almost stopped enjoying them. I can’t put my finger on why, but it just happened. Still, I intend to give such films the time of day if they managed to catch my eye. Not every animated film can be as amazing as How To Train Your Dragon, but there is always the possibility of entertainment value to be had. So when a story of forest-dwelling creatures caught my attention back in the spring, I made it a point to eventually check it out. Blue Sky Studios’ Epic is now on Blu-ray, but did it fall short like so many other computer-animated films I’ve watched, or did it prove to reach my expectations?
On August 25th, I was happy to attend a screening of Cowboy Bebop: The Movie at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, which was then followed by a panel discussion featuring actor Steve Blum (voice of ‘Bebop’s lead character Spike Spiegel) and director and illustrator Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians). As a huge fan of the popular anime series and the film it spawned, it was exciting to see the film on the big screen again (I was fortunate to see the film during its very limited, original theatrical run in America, back in 2003), but also a very fun panel to listen in on afterward. Continue on to listen to the entire Q&A and learn more about this fun event.
Scream Factory continues to roll out and lay claim to King Of Jon Carpenter Blu-rays this November. They will be releasing what I can easily say will be a superior version of his cult classic Assault On Precinct 13 November 19 (this has already been released before through a different distributor). The week prior, they will be releasing the rare film Body Bags. The horror anthology that collaborates Carpenter with legend Tobe Hooper may be somewhat of a forgotten title to many. This trilogy of terror was only released on DVD in a brief stint by Artisan and quickly went out of print when they were no longer in business. Its a fun little film that features John Carpenter himself hamming it up as the host of the 3 short films. Also making appearances are Sam Raimi, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, Tom Arnold, David Warner and Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. This marks the 6th and 7th John Carpenter related releases from Scream Factory. Get in your preorders and find more detailed information after the link! 
Oh my God! She has done it again! The finest PR person in the world has provided us with a title that melts in your hands if you hold it too long because that’s how hot it is! Of course I’m talking about the upcoming Blu-ray release of Spartacus: War of the Damned. And guess what?! One lucky reader here can bring the excitement and combat home for free this September. Do I have your full attention now? Good! Read on below for more information about this highly anticipated Blu-ray release and how you can win your very own prize pack containing not only the Blu-ray release, but also a novel and block game (as pictured below). Good luck! 
