ParaNorman DVD Review
ParaNorman DVD
Starring the voices of Cody Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin and John Goodman
Written by Chris Butler
Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell
New this week on DVD and Blu-Ray from Alliance Films is the stop motion animated wonder, from the same studio that brought us Henry Selick’s Coraline, which scared up some decent box office this summer, ParaNorman. Directors Chris Butler and Sam Fell bring us the story of a boy with the gift to talk to the deceased and a mission to fulfill. So what does the DVD have in store for us?
Norman Babcock (Smit-McPhee) is an awkward child with an extraordinary (more…)
Vampires get ‘Clueless’ as Amy Heckerling & Alicia Silverstone bring us ‘Vamps’
Amy Heckerling teams up with her Cluelessstar Alicia Silverstone for the first time since Clueless to give us the horror comedy Vamps. Bringing along a stellar supporting cast and co-starring Krysten Ritter (Don`t Trust the B—– in Apartment 23), Heckerling and Silverstone are trying once again to bring us the charm and fun that permeated their previous now classic comedy, but does Vamps have enough bite to deliver? Now thanks to Anchor Bay Entertainment we can find out the answer on Blu-Ray.
Vamps – Blu-Ray Review
Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Sigourney Weaver and Wallace Shawn.
Kiefer tries to prove he still has the ‘Touch’ for TV (DVD Review)
Touch Season 1 DVD
Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Mazouz, Roxanna Brusso and Danny Glover
Created by Tim Kring
New on DVD from Fox Home Entertainment is the first season of the new series from Heroes creator Tim Kring, Touch. The mid-season replacement from earlier this year is another high concept production from Kring, this time focusing between the relationship of a father and his son. But of course with Kring things are never quite that easy.
Martin Bohm (Sutherland), a former reporter who now works at the airport (more…)
A Tale of 2 Steve`s: Austin and Seagal show `Maximum Conviction` (Blu-Ray Review)
Are two Steve`s really better than one? This week we get one answer to this question in the form of the newest release from Anchor Bay Entertainment on DVD and Blu-Ray,Maximum Conviction starring Steve Austin andSteven Seagal. The direct to video actioner set in a maximum security prison was produced by both Steve’s, but does the film benefit or fail from the Steve’s working together?
Maximum Convicton
Starring Steve Austin, Steven Seagal, Bren Foster and Michael Pare.
Written by Richard Beattie
Directed by Keoni Waxman
When former black ops operative Tom Steele (Steven Seagal) and his partner Manning (Steve Austin) are assigned to decommission an old prison, Steele decides to oversee the (more…)
Wrong Turn 5 plods along in familiar territory (Blu-Ray Review)
Wrong Turn 5 Blu-Ray
Starring Doug Bradley, Camilla Arfwedson and Simon Ginty
Written and Directed by Declan O’Brien
New on Blu-Ray from our friends at Fox Home Entertainment is the newest entry in the mostly direct-to-video series Wrong Turn, Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines. The original Wrong Turn was a passable genre romp that has somehow managed to spawn four sequels, the last three being directed by O’Brien. But should the series have ended before it started?
In Wrong Turn 5 we begin in a small West Virginia town that is hosting the legendary Mountain Man Festival on Halloween. The concert is where throngs of costumed party (more…)
Excision Blu-Ray Review
Excision Blu-Ray
Starring AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Roger Bart, Jeremy Sumpter, Malcolm McDowell, John Waters, Marlee Matlin and Matthew Gray Gubler and Ray Wise
Written and Directed by Richard Bates Jr.
SPOILERS
New on Blu-ray and DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment comes the bizarre medical based thriller, Excision. On the surface the film shares a lot of similarities with the body modification horror film from the Soska Sisters, ‘American Mary’, but upon closer examination the two are very different. The Soska’s Mary is an overachieving and talented student while McCord’s Pauline is the ultimate slacker. So how does Excision stack up?
Pauline (McCord) is an 18 year old failing student with aspirations of a career in (more…)
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Blu-Ray Review
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter Blu-Ray
Starring Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell and Jimmi Simpson
Written by Seth Grahame-Smith
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Now out on Blu-Ray and DVD from Fox Home Entertainment, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is the teaming up of writer Seth Grahame-Smith, Producer/Director Bekmambetov and Producer Tim Burton, to bring the first of Grahame-Smith’s books to home screens. With its over-the-top visuals and absurdist premise, will Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter be among this year’s most fun purchases for your home theater or will it be this year’s Jonah Hex?
We first meet Abraham as a child as he interferes with the beating of a local black child, (more…)
Prometheus Blu-Ray Review
Prometheus Blu-Ray
Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall and Charlize Theron
Written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Directed by Ridley Scott
Audiences were not prepared for what Ridley Scott unleashed upon them this summer when Prometheus was projected on screens across the country this summer. Coming nowhere near the tone of his previous Alien film, Prometheus is very heavy on the SCI part of the equation and very light on everything else. Scott goes completely cerebral for a film clearly inspired more by 2001: A Space Odyssey. The question remains, doe s the film play better the second time around? (more…)
Ruby Sparks Blu-Ray Review
Ruby Sparks Blu-Ray
Starring Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Elliot Gould and Steve Coogan
Written by Zoe Kazan
Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Now available on Blu-Ray and DVD from 20th Century Fox is the quirky comedy from writer/star Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks. Zoe, granddaughter of prolific director Elia Kazan, is following in the footsteps of her parents by writing Ruby Sparks. Yet when it came to directing the film she was more than happy to let the tandem of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris of Little Miss Sunshine fame take the lead. It’s been six years since Dayton and Faris stormed the indie scene with the runaway sensation of Sunshine, will Ruby Sparks make that six year span without a follow-up worth the wait?
29 year old high school dropout Calvin, who at 19 wrote a ground-breaking novel (more…)
The Barrens Blu-Ray Review
The Barrens Blu-Ray
Starring Stephen Moyer, Mia Kirshner, Allie MacDonald, Peter DaCunha, Erik Knudson, Chantelle Chung, David Keeley and Shawn Ashmore
Written and Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
New this week to DVD and Blu-Ray from Anchor Bay Entertainment comes The Barrens. This take on the classic campfire stories that have dominated family camping outings for decades comes from the enigmatic Darren Lynn Bousman, more known for his inconsistency than any one film in particular. So what does the director of Saw 2-4, the divisive Repo, The Genetic Opera and the outright abysmal 11-11-11 have in store for us this time?
It’s known as the Jersey Devil, the long rumored winged beast spawned 400 years ago,……………………………………………..
Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray Review
Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Blu-Ray
Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Carol Kane and Billy Crystal
Written by William Goldman
Directed by Rob Reiner
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year is The Princess Bride, a small fairy tale that over time has become a timeless classic spanning generations. Featuring new packaging as well as a brand new 30 minute long special feature on top of all of the features from the 20th anniversary edition, the 25th anniversary edition turns out to be a packed Blu-ray. The question remains: is this edition worth the upgrade if you already own a copy of this classic yarn?
In case you don’t know the story, when a young boy falls ill his grandfather pops round to visit him. In an attempt to cheer up his grandson (Savage), Grandpa (Falk) has brought a…
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Chained DVD Review
Chained DVD
Starring Vincent D’Onofrio, Julia Ormond, Eamon Farren, Gina Phillips, Evan Bird and Jake Weber
Written by Damian O’Donnell and Jennifer Lynch
Directed by Jennifer Lynch
After her trials and tribulations in India directing the film Hisss, documented in the excellent feature documentary Despite the Gods, with her next effort Jennifer Lynch wanted to get back to the friendly confines of small indie horror that spawned her, the result is Chained. Armed with a script she adapted herself and a stellar lead actor in D’Onofrio, Lynch set out to once again carve out her unique vision with the level of creative control only an indie film can provide, although it should be mentioned that the title was changed from Rabbit to Chained.
Coming home from a routine trip to the movies, eight-year-old Tim (Bird) and his mother, Sarah (Ormond), are picked up by a psychopathic cab driver named…
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Brawler DVD Review
Brawler DVD
Starring Nathan Grubbs, Marc Senter, Pell James and Michael Bowen
Written by Chris Sivertson and Nathan Grubbs
Directed by Chris Sivertson
New on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada, is an MMA inspired fight film that explores the seedy side of underground fight clubs, Brawler. Based on a true story, the familiar tale of brother versus brother, realized most recently onscreen in last year’s Warrior, is familiar ground. The real test of the film will be if it can deliver a realistic product inside the cage.
Brawler is the tale of two brothers, Charlie (Grubbs) and Bobby (Senter) Fontaine, who find themselves in a vicious, bone-breaking, jaw-smashing underground “fight club” circuit under Mafia control set on the riverboats of New Orleans. Sidelined by an injury incurred while protecting his young brother, Charlie is blindsided after a devastating betrayal by Bobby and his new wife Kat (James). The two…
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Magic City Season 1 Blu-Ray Review
Magic City Season 1 Blu-Ray Review
Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Steven Strait, Jessica Marais, Christian Cooke, Yul Vazquez, Taylor Blackwell, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Elena Satine, Michael Rispoli, Kelly Lynch and Danny Huston.
Series created by Mitch Glazer
New this week from Starz Network and Anchor Bay Entertainment comes the first season of the acclaimed series Magic City. The lavishly conceived and staged production set in 1959 Miami Beach is a crime ridden gangster drama with a gloss and charm set to draw you in and make you stay a while. Producer Mitch Glazer used recollections, both fantasy and fact, to craft this series based on the Miami Beach he knew growing up. But does Magic City hold up with the quality of other contemporary cable shows?
As Ike Evans (Morgan) rings in the New Year, with the Chairman of the board himself Frank Sinatra crooning in the Grand Ballroom…
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Bait 3D DVD Review
Bait 3D DVD
Starring Xavier Samuel, Sharni Vinson, Alex Russell, Phoebe Tonkin and Julian McMahon
Written by Russell Mulcahy and John Kim (with additional writing by Shayne Armstrong, Duncan Kennedy, Shane Krause and Justin Monjo).
Directed by Kimble Rendall
From the Gold Coast of Australia Anchor Bay Entertainment brings us Bait 3D on DVD and Blu-Ray. The film stars a cast of rising stars from Australia including Xavier Samuel (Loved Ones, Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Sharni Vinson (Step Up 3D, You’re Next), Alex Russell (Chronicle) and Phoebe Tonkin (TV’s The Secret Circle, Tomorrow, When the War Began). The cast is further rounded out with some veteran presence in the form of Julian McMahon. The question remains with the overabundance of Shark based thrillers out there is Bait more part Jaws or Sharktopus?
After a gargantuan freak tsunami hits a sleepy beach community in Australia a group…
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The Victim Blu-Ray Review (Kirk Haviland)
The Victim Blu-Ray (2012)
Starring Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc, Ryan Honey, Denny Kirkwood and Danielle Harris
Written Reed Lackey and Michael Biehn
Directed by Michael Biehn
New this week from Anchor Bay Entertainment comes the directorial debut of 80’s action star and cult icon Michael Biehn, The Victim. Having written the film as a vehicle for his wife Jennifer Blanc and himself to produce under their new production label, after a rumored wayward promise to director Robert Rodriguez on the set of Planet Terror that he would direct his own film. The only question that remained was whether Biehn could take on all hats behind the scenes and deliver in front of it?
Annie (Blanc) is a dancer by trade and a party girl by nature, but one day her life is put in jeopardy after she’s witnesses the horrific murder of her closest friend Mary (Harris) at a party…
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Lola Versus Blu Ray
Lola Versus Blu-Ray
Starring Greta Gerwig, Joel Kinnaman, Zoe Lister-Jones, Hamish Linklater, Bill Pullman and Debra Winger
Written by Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones
Directed by Daryl Wein
Currently one of Hollywood’s latest “IT” girls, the talented Greta Gerwig steps into one of her first starring vehicles in the new Blu-ray release from Fox Entertainment, Lola Versus. The story of an about to be 30 year old that goes through a life altering situation was written by co-star Zoe Lister-Jones and Director Daryl Wein seemingly with Gerwig in mind as it seems to be tailor made for her brand of “dramady”. But is Gerwig ready to be the main attraction?
When 29-year-old Lola (Gerwig) is dumped by her fiancé Luke (Kinnaman) just three weeks before the wedding, she embarks on an emotional, year-long adventure of self-discovery. Guided by the advice, good and bad, of her close friends Alice (Lister-Jones) and…
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Spartacus: Vengeance Blu-Ray
Spartacus: Vengeance
Starring Liam McIntyre, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Katrina Law, Lucy Lawless, Viva Bianca, Craig Parker and Nick E. Tarabay
Created by Steven S. DeKnight
From Anchor Bay Entertainment and Starz Network in the US, The Movie Network for us up here in Canada, comes the long awaited second season follow up to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Spartacus: Vengeance. After the illness that sadly took the life of season one star Andy Whitfield, and the prequel production Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Liam McIntyre steps into the sandals of our lead Spartacus and throughout the course of the season leads a furious bunch of rebels out for revenge against the Romans after events of season one. But is McIntyre capable of taking over the iconic role?
After the bloody escape from the House of Batiatus that concluded Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the gladiator rebellion has erupted and begun to…
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High School Blu-Ray Review
High School Blu-Ray Review
Starring Matt Bush, Sean Marquette, Adrien Brody, Colin Hanks, Yeardley Smith, Curtis Armstrong, Mykelti Williamson, Michael Vartan, Adhir Kalyan, Alicia Sixtos and Michael Chiklis
Written by Erik Linthorst, John Stalberg and Stephen Susco
Directed by John Stalberg
The stoner comedy field is a tricky one to master, trying to delicately balance the material for pot smoker and non-pot smoker alike. For every Dazed and Confused and Harold and Kumar there is a plethora of awful attempts to bring “pot culture” to screen through comedy. Out this week from Anchor Bay Entertainment is the Sundance and Toronto After Dark fan favorite from 2010, High School, another film in the same vein, but on which side of the argument will it land?
High School is the story of soon-to-be valedictorian Henry Burke (Bush), who, after taking a hit of the chronic for the first time provided by his…
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Donovan’s Echo DVD Review
Donovan’s Echo DVD Review
Starring Danny Glover, Bruce Greenwood, Natasha Calis, and Sonja Bennett
Written by Jim Cliffe and Melody Krieger
Directed by Jim Cliffe
Out this week, an exclusive release from Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada, is the Canadian production Donovan’s Echo. After a run on the festival circuit that included stops in Calgary and Edmonton, Donovan’s Echo, the Danny Glover semi-supernatural thriller is now available to take home. But is it something you need to buy, rent or pass on?
Set in 1994, Donovan Matheson (Glover) returns home after a 30 year absence to discover events from his past are replaying out with astonishing accuracy. Plagued by the idea of déjà vu, Donovan is convinced his young neighbour Maggie (Calis) and her mother Sarah (Bennett) will be killed on the 30th anniversary of his own wife and daughter’s death. Struggling to unlock the pattern, Donovan tries to convince his…
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UFC 146: All Heavyweight Card
UFC 146 DVD Review
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise Nevada
May 26th 2012
Heading into UFC 146, the UFC was presented with one of its biggest scandals in recent years. The original headliner, Alistair Overeem, failed a drug test with severely inflated testosterone levels. Overeem, coming off his dominant victory over former champ Brock Lesnar, was the clear choice for contender for the heavyweight belt. This sent Dana White and the UFC scrambling to final a main event. The result is that the all heavyweight main card was sent into turmoil, as Mir was bumped up from the co-main event against Cain Velasquez, Cain’s opponent was changed to the debuting Antonio Silva, who was originally scheduled to fight Roy Nelson. But perhaps this helped the card in the long run as it led to very aggressive tactics in the ring.
The Undercard fights were as follows:
Mike Brown vs…
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Walking Dead Season 2 DVD Review
The Walking Dead Season 2
Starring Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus, Steven Yuen, Chandler Riggs, Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey DeMunn, IronE Singleton with Pruitt Taylor Vince and Scott Wilson
Created by Robert Kirkman and Frank Darabont
One of the hottest shows on television today, out on DVD and Blu-Ray this week from AMC and Anchor Bay Entertainment is The Walking Dead Season 2. With all the behind the scenes turmoil involving the release of co-creator Frank Darabont mid-season as show runner, many people wondered if the show would suffer in quality because of his departure. Fortunately the second season proves that the dead are still running strong.
Starting perched on a lonely rooftop, walkie talkie in hand, Rick Grimes (Lincoln) recaps briefly the recent events from the final episodes of Season 1 over the device, aimed at reaching the man who helped him…
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Haloween 4 & 5 Blu-Ray Review
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Starring Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, George P. Wilbur, Kathleen Kinmont, Sasha Jenson and Beau Starr
Written by Danny Lipsius, Larry Rattner, Benjamin Ruffner and Alan B. McElroy
Directed by Dwight H. Little
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Starring Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Wendy Kaplan, Jeffrey Landman, Donald L. Shanks and Beau Starr
Written by Michael Jacobs, Dominique Othenin-Girard and Shem Bitterman
Directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard
New this week from Anchor Bay Entertainment are the Blu-Ray reissues of Halloween 4 and 5, the re-introduction of serial killer Michael Myers after the Myers-less Halloween 3. Varying in quality the films are eternally linked as they feature almost identical lead characters, are set only one year apart in movie time (and the same in production time) and Halloween 5 actually picks up from the very end of part 4. So…
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A Little Bit Zombie Blu-Ray Review
Starring Kristopher Turner, Crystal Lowe, Shawn Roberts, Kristen Hager, Emilie Ullerup and Stephen McHattie
Written by Christopher Bond and Trevor Martin
Directed by Casey Walker
Hitting store shelves this week from Anchor Bay entertainment, A Little Bit Zombie has taken a different approach to releasing the film to the masses. After a completely self-financed and self-distributed theatrical run, the creators of the film have teamed with Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada to bring the film to home screens. And in the process, deliver the film to a wider audience than the limited engagements at individual theaters across the country would allow. But is the Blu-Ray worth your hard earned dollars?
A Little Bit Zombie starts off with Max (McHattie) and Penelope (Ullerup), a pair of zombie hunters that use a mystical orb to help track their targets, in the middle of a zombie swarm. After the…
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MOVIE JUNKIE TO'S Entertainment Fix 