Wu Dang Blu-ray review

Actors: Siu-Wong Fan, Wenzhuo Zhao

Format: Subtitled

Language: Cantonese

Subtitles: Cantonese, English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: December 4, 2012

Run Time: 94 minutes

            Wu Dang is a rather typical martial arts film in many respects, with the right amount of action mixed with sentimentality. The execution of this average martial arts film is what makes it stand apart somewhat, and this is mostly due to action director Corey Yuen, best known for his work choreographing the action in The Transporter. There is a familiar brutality in the hand-to-hand combat of the opening scenes of Wu Dang, which eventually gives way to a more traditional style of Wu Dang Kung Fu.

            Part Indiana Jones and part Crouching Tiger, our hero is an American searching for lost treasures with his daughter during the early days of Republican China. His daughter is a prodigy in kung fu, and it is under the guise of a tournament in a sacred temple that these treasures are stolen. More important than their physical value is a supernatural ability which is said to come from their possession.

            Although I prefer the earlier action which resembles more of a realistic and creative style of fighting to the supernatural martial arts that take over by the end of the film, but Wu Dang is entertaining through and through. Although there is a bit too much forced melodramatic sentimentality, I was never bored or eager for the film to end. This is the sign of good filmmaking; when an average story somehow makes an above average film.

            The Blu-ray release includes a behind-the-scenes featurette and a trailer.  

           

Silent Night DVD review

Actors: Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, Donal Logue, Ellen Wong, Brendan Fehr

Director: Steven C. Miller

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

DVD Release Date: December 4, 2012

Run Time: 94 minutes

            There have been a number of killer Santa Claus films recently, but none are more significant in the history of horror cinema as the original 1984 slasher film, Silent Night, Deadly Night. This controversial cult classic was banned across America, perhaps due to the fact that the killer dressed as Santa Claus before gruesomely destroying his victims. With several new killer Claus films recently released, a remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night is hardly likely to make the same waves it did in the early 80s.

            In a small Midwestern town which was once a vibrant community, a plant being shut down results in a rise in crime. There is a seedier element to the town, which explains why a serial killer dressed as Santa Claus decides to make an appearance, punishing those he deems naughty. From porn filmmakers in motels to a spoiled child whining about gifts, the killer Claus wreaks havoc on the community while the sheriff (Malcolm McDowell) and his deputy (Jaime King) attempt to hunt him down.

            The killer is mysterious, created from a story of an incident which happened long ago. Where this deviant Claus hides out the rest of the year is a mystery, but he is busy taking down the bad people of a small town during the holidays. These deaths are often gruesome, but not nearly creative enough to standout the way the original did. There are some good moments of suspense, but unfortunately there are just as many moments spoiled by terrible supporting actors.

            The DVD release includes a behind-the-scenes featurette, as well as some deleted scenes.

Hope Springs DVD review

Actors: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: French

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: December 4, 2012

Run Time: 100 minutes

            Films like Hope Springs are among the rarest to come out of Hollywood. There is an unspoken rule, referred to as “the rule of 40.” It essentially only applies to female actors, and it says that their career ends at 40, and if anything you are resigned to playing the mother in supporting roles. If anyone were to break this rule continuously, it would be Meryl Streep, and nobody is better suited for this rare adult romantic comedy. Not only does it feature older actors in love and romantic (even sexual) situations, but they are a couple who have been married for decades.

            Kay (Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) have a seemingly ordinary and happy life for people of their age, though their relationship has become more routine than romance. In an effort to inspire a change in their rut, Kay spends her own saved money on a retreat to a couples therapist (played by Steve Carell). Although Arnold is reluctant, he goes along with the trip. Stubborn attitudes and a reluctance to let go prevents the couple from immediate success, but each of their sessions is a joy to behold. This is a film in which good acting is paired with a spectacularly thoughtful and eloquent screenplay by Vanessa Taylor.

            The DVD includes a number of great special features, with a gag reel to add even more humor to the package. There is also an informative commentary track by director David Frankel and a featurette about the stars playing the onscreen couple. There are alternate takes in replacement of deleted scenes.

Men in Black 3 DVD review

Actors: Will Smith, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones

Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French

Dubbed: French

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: November 30, 2012

Run Time: 106 minutes

            With gags and effects that are more 3D oriented for the extra theatrical dollars and a little more bromance than before, the Men in Black return for a third outing after many years off. Time travel gives the film a new setting, some new characters and a few new actors to play the younger counterpart of old characters. Most impressive is Josh Brolin as the younger version of Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). Jones takes a smaller role in this third film, though this only allows for Will Smith to shine more. Few actors have been as consistent with a blockbuster as Smith, and playing Agent J in Men in Black 3 seems second-nature for him.

            This time around the entire world is at stake when a time-traveling alien is able to alter the future by assassinating Agent K before he has the chance to protect the planet with a special device. When Agent J wakes up to a different existence, he must time travel in order to save his partner and set things right before the planet is destroyed. The destructive alien set to kill Agent K is a fierce new villain (played by Jemaine Clement) with pet monsters that emerge from his wrists.

            This film franchise has always been about the humor and the absurdity of the aliens within the film. The third outing is no exception, with plenty new alien species and a slew of fast-talking wisecracks from Smith. Director Barry Sonnenfeld is known for making films that are harmlessly entertaining. This is one of those films; the cinematic equivalent to a fast-food meal. It has little substance and can hardly be recalled after completed, but there is no denying the enjoyment of its consumption.

            The DVD includes a making-of feature called “Partners in Time,” as well as a gag reel and a music video. Thankfully Will Smith has thrown in the towel for creating the theme song as well, and this time it is Pitbull who provides the additional pop culture. More significant is the reprisal of Danny Elfman for the score.

           

Trilogy of Life Blu-ray review

Actors: Pier Paolo Pasolini

Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini

Format: NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: Italian

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: R and NC-17

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Run Time: 352 minutes

            Pier Paolo Pasolini’s trilogy of films known as the Trilogy of Life were cutting edge at their time of release, mostly for the use of extreme nudity that had not been shown in mainstream narrative cinema previously. Even before the trilogy was completed there were a number of copycat films, and the titillating use of nudity in classic literature adaptations became known as “Decamerotic” films. It is important to note the difference between these copycat films and Pasolini’s trilogy, however, which glorifies the innocence of sexuality rather than the exploitation of it.

            Each of the three films are based on three medieval texts from different countries, with the first groundbreaking film based on Giovanni Boccacio’s The Decameron. All also have a freewheeling way of storytelling, jumping from story to story within a loose framing device. The text includes stories which are told in when a group of men flee plague-ridden Florence and must tell ten tales a day for ten days. Pasolini removes the framing device and focuses on only the more sexual of the stories within the story. There is a man pretending to be mute in order to get work in a convent, as well as the story of a wife tricking her husband so she can cheat on him right in front of his face. These are the more explicit of the many stories within The Decameron, but not nearly as graphic as the series would advance after the success of this first film.

            The Canterbury Tales was released in 1972, one year after the successful first film in the trilogy. This time we are in England within the world of Geoffrey Chaucer’s text, which includes a great deal morbidity and death than The Decameron. The stories still jump around, with the framing device of Pasolini playing Chaucer and telling us the various tales, often sexual in nature. Pushing the boundaries of nudity and sexual nature in a mainstream artistic manner, The Canterbury Tales is a significant piece of film history, though it is often considered the weakest of the trilogy. There are many moments of humorous titillation, not to mention a marvelously absurd fantasy sequence which is bold even by today’s standards.

            The final film in Pasolini’s trilogy has the clearest storyline, though there are still many stories within stories and a loose structure to hold it all together. This time we are in the Orient with an adaptation of The Thousand and One Nights, released as Arabian Nights. The film begins with a love story between a slave and a young poor man, and once he loses her the story veers away. We return to these two characters intermittingly and the film eventually closes with their reunion. In-between there are the usual stories within stories, including some longer and some shorter ones. Once again there is an increase in the explicitness of the sexuality, though it is more the progression of filmmaking which makes this such a strong film. Pasolini seems to have learned from the previous films, making the best last. Each of the films are also notable for the spectacular soundtrack done by Ennio Morricone.

            The three-disc Blu-ray release comes with a number of remarkable special features on the discs, not to mention a 64-page booklet with essays, photos and an excerpt from a press conference with Pasolini. All three films have also been digitally restored in high definition. The special features on the discs include new interviews, visual essays by film scholars Patrick Rumble and Tony Rayns and several documentaries about various aspects of the bold productions.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure Blu-ray review

Actors: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Terry Camilleri, Dan Shor

Director: Stephen Herek

Format: AC-3, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1), Spanish (Mono)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English, French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Run Time: 90 minutes

            My childhood was filled with many repeat viewings of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, as well as the outrageous sequel. It is an irreverent time travel comedy which uses historical figures for amusement in a way that is far more enjoyable than anything within Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Just in time for the theatrical event in which Steven Spielberg brings us a historically accurate presentation of the former president, enjoy a humorous Abraham Lincoln in this 1980s comedy classic starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter and George Carlin.

            Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are burnout high school students with more aspirations in their rock band than anything taught to them in history class. When their grades and futures depend on one school project, the guys take drastic measures to learn about history firsthand. A guardian angel from the future named Rufus (Carlin) arrives in a time machine telephone booth, and explains that they must travel through history in order to learn about history’s most iconic figures.

            From Napolean to Lincoln, the adventures are across time and space, and there is even time remaining for the guys to pick up a couple of French maidens to bring home with them. The entire 1988 comic adventure is presented in high definition for the first time in this Blu-ray release. The special features include a number of fairly irreverent additions, including an air guitar tutorial with Bjorn Turoque & The Rockness Monster.  

           

Pixar Short Film Collection Volume 2 Blu-ray review

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: French, Spanish, English

Dubbed: French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: G (General Audience)

Studio: Disney-Pixar

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Run Time: 75 minutes

Walt Disney Pictures proudly stamps its name on Pixar products as often as possible, and for justifiable reasons. If it weren’t for the creative computer animation team in Northern California, Disney would certainly have lost the title it has held in the animation world for so very long. Pixar seemed from the beginning to understand what everyone had forgotten in animation.

Perhaps it was the forced restrictions of three-dimensional computer animation that really did it, but Pixar learned to simplify. The short films begin with very simple ideas, and even as the animation had progressed to allow far more freedom, they stuck with the same theme for each of the shorts. They each oozing with human life and expression, regardless of whether the film is focuses on a lamp, bird, or a human. That being said, I found Brave to be rather unfulfilling. The best work I have seem from Pixar in the past few years has been in the short films which are included in this set.

Watching these films together is fascinating, both in the way that the animation progresses over time and with experience, but also because of the amazing versatility and creativity in the chosen subjects. Some of the films in this collection are just piggybacking on the success of previously established characters. There are several Toy Story cartoons, a couple Cars shorts, a few more for Up and other feature films also have extra short films as well. These are fine, and probably more what the children are likely to enjoy. What made the set for me, however, are the original shorts which try something new. There seems to a theme in these newer shorts, many of which show nature in a mystical or fantastical way. A moon’s shifting light is a family business, a cloud can have an attitude and in my favorite cartoon Day meets Night.

Though there are more shorts in the first volume that I am likely to watch again, the second volume does far better with the special features. Along with commentary tracks from the filmmakers, there are also seven additional short films from three Pixar filmmakers which were made while they were still students.

Rec 3: Genesis DVD review

Actors: Diego Martin

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: Spanish

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Run Time: 80 minutes

            This Spanish horror franchise began with a frightening and creative first film, one which inspired a Hollywood remake, Quarantine. Both films utilized the ever-popular found-footage style of horror which began with The Blair Witch Project over a decade ago, but purists would argue for the quality of the original franchise. The franchise has shifted focus in this third outing, pulling away from found footage to a more polished approach, which actually looks more like a Hollywood film. The main difference is in the brutality of the horror violence, which increases three times as much in this third film in the franchise.

            Rec 3: Genesis may veer away from the found-footage that has previously defined the franchise, but it keeps the even more important element of quarantine. The monster in these films is a contagion, and one which turns people into demonic zombie-like creatures with the ability to spread the disease by bite. The film begins as found-footage through the use of wedding videos. Clara and Koldo are about to share their special day with family and friends when an outbreak of a virus causes mass panic at their reception. Soon the entire party is quarantined and those remaining must struggle to survive.

            There are two opposing elements which set Rec 3 aside, though somehow they manage to compliment each other. One is the romantic subplot between Clara and Koldo, who spend much of the film trying to find each other amidst the carnage, and the other is the graphic nature in which that carnage is displayed on camera. There is more romance in this film, but it is also more graphically violent and disgustingly gory than the other films in the franchise. These opposing elements work together, but this has been utilized before in similar films, whether The Signal or 28 Days Later.  

            The DVD release includes a select number of deleted scenes, as well as some outtakes.

Vamps Blu-ray review

Actors: Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Richard Lewis, Kristen Johnston, Justin Kirk

Director: Amy Heckerling

Format: Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: Unknown

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Run Time: 93 minutes

            Vampire films have moved beyond any level of seriousness and what we have remaining is Clueless with fangs, however dull they may be. Amy Heckerling and Alicia Silverstone reunite with this girl-power vampire comedy, attempting the same levity of their previous success without the strength of a structure taken from literary legend Jane Austen. There are moments of successful humor in the storyline that attempts to blend “Sex in the City” with Twilight, but more often than not it feels like a film best suited for thirteen-year-old girls.

            The mythology of vampires is about the same as you would expect from traditional horror movies. There is no diamond glistening skin, but a more traditional combustible reaction to the sun. But the gruesome aspects of Vamps are played down in favor of more romantic aspects of story. Goody (Alicia Silverstone) and Stacy (Krysten Ritter) each have different problems, though each romantic relationship is complicated by their condition. Goody runs into a lover (Richard Lewis) she had years earlier and must explain the fact that she has not aged in over a decade. Stacy falls for the son of Van Helsing, a legendary family of vampire hunters.

            There is an impressive cast here, including Sigourney Weaver as something of a villainous character and Malcolm McDowell in an underused capacity. Unfortunately, none of the star power is enough to provide focus for this vampire rom-com. The Blu-ray doesn’t do a great deal to enhance the film, which looks to have been quickly shot on a budget. There are also no special features to speak of.

Les Visiteurs du Soir Blu-ray review

Actors: Arletty, Marie Dea, Fernand Ledoux, Alain Cuny, Pierre Labry

Director: Marcel Carne

Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Run Time: 121 minutes

            Before Marcel Carné went on to make Children of Paradise, a masterpiece in French cinema and an epic tale of the nuances in early 1800 romance and theater, he made a fantasy film which is every bit as impressive. Though the scale in Les Visiteurs du Soir is much smaller, the impact is just as impressive. Even more remarkable is the fact that this film was completed at all considering the limitations of the times

            Made in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, there are often interpretations of this film which compare the tyranny of the devil within the storyline to that of Adolph Hitler and his troops. Even without this symbolism there is a wonderful fantasy film in Les Visiteurs du Soir, and the difficulties in making a film during a time of harsh occupation is impressive enough. The technical aspects are a bit more minimalist than Carné’s Children of Paradise, but this is mostly due to the harsh conditions put to the filmmakers. Even with sets that look a bit simpler, this medieval fantasy has enough heart and soul to outlast any spectacle onscreen in times of peace.

            The film begins with the arrival of two strangers dressed as minstrels (Arletty and Alain Cuny) at a castle during court festivities. They pose as siblings and musicians, though their true relationship seems romantic and even more disturbing is their mystical origins. They are emissaries of the devil, dispatched to spread heartbreak in the kingdom by seducing and splitting a royal couple. The mission is only endangered when love begins to encroach on their mentality, giving them the strength of free will from the devil’s will.

            The Blu-ray release of this classic includes a new digital restoration with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack and improved English subtitles. Also included is a 2009 documentary about the making of the film, a trailer and a booklet with an essay by film critic Michael Atkinson.

Children of Paradise Blu-ray review

Actors: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Pierre Renoir, Marcel Herrand

Director: Marcel Carne

Format: Black & White, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Run Time: 190 minutes

            Children of Paradise is widely considered one of the greatest French films ever made, a masterpiece of technical achievement blended with an emotional connection to unforgettable characters. At 190 minutes, Children of Paradise can afford to allow depth and layers in the construction of the characters, which adds weight to the love triangle at the center of the tale. It is an homage to an antiquated form of entertainment, a lovingly portrait that is paired with a breathtaking beauty who must choose between the old way of entertaining and the new one.

            Although Marcel Carné’s masterpiece has a love triangle which compliments the already existent themes of the changing entertainment world of nineteenth-century Paris, there are many other threads to the tapestry of this world. Our main female protagonist, Garance (Arletty), is admired by all. Throughout the film she has as many as four different men pursuing her, using whatever means they have to obtain her beauty, though there is only one man that truly has her heart.

            The men within the film all seem to be symbols for the changing times, and it is no coincidence that though Garance’s heart belongs to a man representing an antiquated form of entertainment. Baptiste Deburau (Jean-Louis Barrault) is a mime who makes a sudden rise to fame in the 1820s Paris theater scene. Children of Paradise deals with ever aspect of theatrical entertainment in Paris, from high to low. At the same time that Baptiste is making his rise with the emotions of mime, an actor named Frédérick Lemaitre (Pierre Brasseur) makes his own way up to the top. Though each are in a different medium of theater and not exactly in competition, they are constantly in competition for the heart of Garance. Their love triangle is a civil one, unlike many of the other suitors that come into Garance’s life.

            The quality of the story and its underlying symbolism is astounding, which increases infinitely when the details behind the construction of the film are learned. Made in Nazi-occupied France during the end of World War II, there were many pitfalls and difficulties. Carné previously had success working under these conditions when he created Les Visiteurs du Soir.

The Blu-ray release of Children of Paradise includes a fantastic second disc filled with special features about the film’s production and every aspect of admiration since then. There is a video introduction by Terry Gilliam, a 2009 documentary about the making of the film, a new visual essay and a 1967 documentary about the film. This is all on top of the fact that this is the 2011 restoration, which is the best possible presentation of this masterpiece, and in high definition. The first disc, with the film, also comes with optional audio commentaries by film scholars Brian Stonehill and Charles Affron. The package also comes with a 40-page booklet with an essay by film scholar Dudley Andrew and an excerpt from an interview with Carné.

Arthur Christmas Blu-ray review

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: French

Dubbed: French

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Run Time: 97 minutes

            Christmas films are the one category of movies which usually take a year to find their way to home video. Nobody wants to buy a Christmas film in March, so they usually just wait an entire year to release it. Last Christmas Arthur Christmas was in theaters, but this year it will make the perfect holiday gift for children and families alike. Arthur Christmas isn’t an instant holiday classic, but I would have no problem adding it to the list of annual holiday movies. It is fun-filled and creative, bringing entertainment to every age group in the family.

            The creativity in the story comes from a practical explanation for the miraculous existence of Santa Claus. No longer does Santa travel by sled or go down the chimneys himself. The answer for so many toys delivered is a state-of-the-art spaceship sled and an army of trained elves to deliver the gifts quickly and efficiently in each city. This newer system seems to be working wonderfully for the latest Santa and his crack team that includes an innovative son to ruin the spaceship and another who simply embodies the spirit of Christmas.

            Arthur is not the most efficient worker in the North Pole, but he is tolerated because of the fact that he is the son of Santa. Nobody seems to think Arthur is worth much, but he has a chance to change all of that when the high-tech present delivery system fails to visit one child. With a missed child, Arthur sets out to deliver the last present on his own, using the old fashioned method of a sled and reindeer. In the process, Arthur is able to teach his family what Christmas is really about, rather than the efficiency that they have been focusing on.

            The Blu-ray combo pack comes with a DVD and Ultraviolet copy of the film. The special features include a number of making-of featurettes, including a progression reel to see how the animation advanced from step to step. There are also plenty of features for the younger fans, including one which goes into greater detail about the Claus family in the film. There is also an elf recruitment video.

           

The Amazing Spider-Man Blu-ray review

Actors: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen

Director: Marc Webb

Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: Cantonese, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Spanish

Dubbed: Chinese, French

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony

Release Date: November 9, 2012

Run Time: 136 minutes

            I’ve heard all of the arguments from fanboy comic geeks about the validity of having a new Spider-Man film only a decade after the last one was brought to life by Sam Raimi. I understand that this is based on a completely different comic book series and follows the path differently. Sure, there are similarities, but there are also differences both in plot and character. Even knowing that, I saw no reason for another Spider-Man film. That being said, I found myself enjoying this film more than I anticipated. There isn’t much substance to it, but it is undeniably entertaining. The high definition Blu-ray does not hurt in the enjoyment of the film’s spectacle.

            The difference between the Spider-Man of today and the one ten years ago is primarily in attitude. Although Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is still a social outcast, we now live in times where that is the cool thing. Being a hipster or anti-social is far more popular than being cookie cutter, and Peter even carries an arrogant confidence with his social exclusion which makes him more of a rebel than a geek. This attitude completely changes the vibe of the story, and although I’m sure it will appeal more to the younger crowd, I found it difficult not to be annoyed by the cocky protagonist.

            This time around there is also a different romantic partner for Spider-Man named Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Gwen works at the lab where Peter is bitten by a special spider, but more importantly, it is also the same lab that his father once worked at. Rather than the accidental spider-bite that results in special abilities, the Peter in this story is the son of an important scientist whose discovery is what leads to Peter’s special abilities. The result is basically the same, with Peter developing some of the abilities of a spider, and after seeking revenge for the death of his uncle (Martin Sheen).

            The villain this time is the Lizard, who is the alter ego of Peter’s father’s former partner, Dr. Connors (Rhys Ifans). An admirable foe against Spider-Man is not enough, however, and there is the additional pressure of the police force hunting the super-hero. The task force just happens to be led by Gwen’s father (Denis Leary), adding even more to the melodrama.

            The Blu-ray combo pack comes with a DVD and Ultraviolet copy of the film, as well as a number of special features that are exclusive to this disc. Only on Blu-ray is a second-screen app ability, as well as 90 minutes of exclusive making-of featurettes in the “Rites of Passage” feature. There are also some pre-visualization sequences and image progression reels which can only be found on the Blu-ray. Other special features include deleted scenes, stunt rehearsal and an audio commentary with Marc Webb, Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.

Magic Mike Blu-ray review

Actors: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writers: Reid Carolin

Producers: Channing Tatum, Nick Wechsler, Gregory Jacobs, Reid Carolin

Format: AC-3, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Run Time: 110 minutes

            Despite being directed by Steven Soderbergh, who has had another one of his diversely successful years, I had little interest in seeing Magic Mike. I assumed it would be something of a cross between The Girlfriend Experience and Showgirls. In some ways this is exactly what Magic Mike feels like, but that ends up being a good thing. There is some of the exploitation, humor and camp of Showgirls within the independent and more restrained style of Soderbergh’s lower budget films.

            The highlight of the film ends up being dancing more than stripping, and a great deal of the credit for that must go to star and co-producer Channing Tatum, whose big break in film came with Step Up. There are plenty of suggestive dance moves and more abs than can be counted, but there is more talent and skill in the performances than one expects to see from a stripper. The production value of the film increases any time the characters are onstage, and these are some entertaining sequences which are featured several times over in the Blu-ray extras as well, but the success of Magic Mike is how compelling the film remains even when the stars put their shirts back on.

           

            The script by Reid Carolin is the first thing to be commended, creating a cliché world with reinvigorating dialogue and characters. The actual plot is fairly predictable, but a charming cast of likeable characters with well-written dialogue and a seasoned director at the helm it doesn’t matter that we know what is coming. The film is enjoyable even if we can see the ending before it comes.

            The Blu-ray has extended versions of a few major dance numbers, as well as a “Dance Play” option for viewing the film. It does exactly what it says, playing all of the dances while skipping everything in-between in the film. There is also a featurette about the process the stars took to become accustomed to the world of male stripping. The Blu-ray combo pack comes with a DVD and a Ultraviolet copy of the film as well.

Maximum Conviction Blu-ray review

Actors: Steven Seagal, Steve Austin, Michael Pare, Bren Foster

Director: Keoni Waxman

Format: Color, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: Unknown

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Run Time: 98 minutes

            Steven Seagal has slowed down considerably from his earlier days. He was always more mass than speed. Seagal was famous for breaking bones in the same way Van Damme was known for his agile kicks and Chuck Norris for his moustache. The problem with Seagal is that his mass just keeps increasing, and many of his more recent action films have relied far more on the editing than any abilities from the former action star. Surprisingly, Maximum Conviction does a far better job of hiding this, perhaps somewhat helped by the addition of another action star.

            Steve Austin joins the cast alongside Seagal with a story that feels a great deal like Under Siege 3. Seagal and Austin are former Special Forces commandos turned private security contractor named Steele and Manning. They are on a top secret mission in a secret military prison, guarding a special prisoner when a group of hired mercenaries take control of the facility and begin to hunt down their target. Matters are made even worse when all of the deadly prisoners are released, making it a free for all which Steele and Manning must survive, along with their prisoner.

            The action is sub-par for a theatrical film, but for straight-to-video it comes closer than I expected to the action films of Seagal’s glory days. There is even a compound fracture within one of the fight scenes, which is sure to please fans of the 80s action star. The Blu-ray high definition enhances the action further, though the gunplay is far from impressive in the audio track. The special features include a commentary track with executive producer/director Keoni Waxman and executive producer Binh Dang. There is also a behind-the-scenes featurette, a featurette about the two action stars and interviews with them as well. 

Touch: The Complete First Season DVD review

            Although the premise seems slightly different, “Touch” has so many similarities “Heroes” that it becomes impossible not to compare the two. There are even locations which seem similar to those in “Heroes,” and it almost feels like the leftovers from a one-hit-wonder. “Heroes” had an ensemble of characters that intermingled throughout the seasons and ultimately the series. “Touch” has a myriad of characters which intermingle and connect throughout each individual episode, with only a few major characters returning week after week.

            “Heroes” was about a select group of mutant human beings with special abilities, whereas “Touch” is about a select group of humans with special abilities that are more mental and less physical. Our narrator is a mute boy with the ability to see connections and patterns that nobody else can see, and he uses this to help people around him and far from him. This becomes complexly reliant on how small changes in our life can have a ripple effect that has massive repercussions.

            Although Jake is the one with the ability, he is only able to achieve his goals with the help of his single father, Martin Bohm (Kiefer Sutherland), whose ability to communicate with his son is limited to say the least. With the help of a Child Protective Services employee and a brilliant professor with special knowledge (Danny Glover), Martin and his son are able to work together to change people’s lives.

            This show is often melodramatic and cheesy, and what it does have going for it is remarkably similar to what made “Heroes” work. Sutherland is over-the-top and over-acting as usual, even without trying to save the country from terrorist attacks. With all that is wrong with this show, I still found myself drawn in to each episode. The first season has 11 episodes, all included on three discs with special features. There is an extended pilot episode, some featurettes and a few select deleted scenes.

Holliston: The Complete First Season Blu-ray review

Actors: Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Laura Ortiz, Corri English, Dee Snider

Directors: Adam Green, Sean Becker

Format: Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Run Time: 223 minutes

            The premise for “Holliston” is clever and fairly original, though this does not always mean that it works. There are extra points awarded for the boldness of the concept. Creating a horror sitcom is certainly an achievement on its own, but that does not mean that I care to see any further seasons. These guys should stick to making horror movies instead, but I commend them for trying. If nothing else, horror fans with a sick sense of humor will enjoy the lower budget horror special effects used for the show.

            “Holliston” is a sitcom in the most traditional sense, with a simple apartment set that carries a majority of the action. There are the usual one-liners and laugh tracks, but where this sitcom varies is in the addition to this formula. Starring horror newcomers Adam Green (Hatchet) and Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End), who both play characters with their own first names and a similar love for the horror genre. They essentially seem to be playing themselves, but versions which are not yet successful. They are broke roommates and aspiring filmmakers who spend most of their time dreaming up plans for their big break.

            When they aren’t planning their big chance to make it from Holliston, Massachusetts to Hollywood, Adam and Joe are struggling with women problems. The pilot is overlong and all about Adam’s attempt to hire a hooker to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. Adam’s ex-girlfriend Corri (Corri English) is a regular member of the cast, along with Joe’s ditzy girlfriend, Laura (Laura Ortiz). There are also the more than occasional horror icon cameos, and a re-occurring imaginary friend played by Dave Brockie of GWAR and a glam rock boss played by Twisted Sister member Dee Snider.

            This Fear.net original series is unique and worth checking out for horror fans. All of season one is fit onto Blu-ray disc, with a running time of just under four hours. There are cast commentaries on select episodes, as well as bloopers and deleted scenes. There are also some making of featurettes and behind-the-scenes footage.

Excision Blu-ray review

Actors: AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Roger Bart, Malcom McDowell, Ariel Winter

Director: Richard Bates Jr.

Format: Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: Unknown

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: October 16, 2012

Run Time: 81 minutes

            This is not an attractive film. I don’t say that because it is poorly shot, because some of the fantasy sequences are absolutely gorgeous in a way. The images are gloriously vibrant, and they might even be enjoyable to look at if they weren’t filled with gruesome and disgusting images. The main star is made to look purposefully unattractive much of the film. Even when she does look glamorous in her fantasies, her actions are always disturbing enough to counter this. This is a film filled with unattractive images and ideas, making it far from easy to sit through without squirming uncomfortably.

            AnnaLynne McCord gives a bold performance as Pauline, a role which calls for her to be as unattractive as possible for much of the film. Only within fantasy sequences does she look glamorous, and this is countered with gruesome and graphic images of blood and carnage. Pauline is an unpopular high school student who exists within her own demented world of bizarre ideas and a strange secret fetish. Though she is an outcast, Pauline pays little attention to what anybody else says or thinks of her. When she gets an idea in her head, it doesn’t matter what obstacles are in her way.

            In one particularly disturbing sequence, Pauline decides that she is ready to lose her virginity. Though she is unpopular, a blunt proposal to a popular kid proves all that is needed. What is more disturbing is the manner in which Pauline desires to lose her virginity, and even more upsetting are the implications of her determination. Throughout the film Pauline’s ultimate psychosexual fantasies are of graphic surgery, and it becomes clear that she may even be disturbed enough to carry out a fantasy of her own in real life.

            The Blu-ray release has an audio commentary track with director Richard Bates, Jr. and McCord. This is the only special feature, though the fantasies are filmed in a way which is enhanced by the high definition presentation of the Blu-ray. The film is disturbing regardless, but it is the contradiction of beauty and destruction that makes Excision far more sophisticated than and layered than your average horror film.  

Coma DVD review

Actors: Lauren Ambrose, Steve Pasquale, Geena Davis, Ellen Burstyn, James Woods

Director: Mikael Salomon

Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC

Language: English

Subtitles: English, French

Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: October 30, 2012

Run Time: 160 minutes

            This medical conspiracy miniseries is chock-full of celebrity supporting cast and a near-theatrical approach to the adaptation of Robin Cook’s novel, though that simply begs the question of the need for the 160 minute run time. Although I don’t imagine the demand would have been great for another theatrical film for Coma, I also think that a great deal of entertainment value could have been increased had there been somewhat more of a time constraint. The way it stands now, Coma is often a little too slow in revealing the twists in the plot, allowing the audience to figure them out long before the characters do.

            Our investigative protagonist is Dr. Susan Wheeler (Lauren Ambrose of HBO’s “Six Feet Under”), a medical student who risks her career when she finds some discrepancies at the hospital she works at. After discovering that a number of patients all fell into comas after routine operations in the same room, Susan digs deeper to find out what is happening to the patients. The suspenseful investigation only becomes more dangerous the deeper that she digs.

           

With the help of a young surgeon (Steven Pasquale of “Rescue Me”), Susan traces the patients to a highly secretive medical facility. With this discovery it is more than just Susan’s career which is at risk, each revelation bringing forth more danger. The cast is full of seasoned actors such as Geena Davis and James Woods, with Ellen Burstyn and Richard Dreyfuss also giving special appearances. The miniseries is all included on one disc, with no special features included or called for.

The Courier Blu-ray review

Actors: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mickey Rourke, Til Schweiger, Mark Margolis, Miguel Ferrer

Director: Hany Abu-Assad

Format: THX, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Run Time: 99 minutes

            Action shouldn’t be this complicated, but I spent a majority of the running time for The Courier trying to piece together what was happening and why any of the action was relevant to the storyline. Despite a seemingly straightforward premise, The Courier is ripe with flashbacks and secret identities, not to mention far too many characters and names to keep track of. If only the approach had been simplified, there may have been a great action film in here somewhere. Instead, The Courier is a convoluted thriller with a few scenes of action.

            Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars as an underworld courier who finishes the jobs without asking questions. When he is giving a job to deliver a briefcase to a man that is seemingly impossible to find, the reward is as high as the risk. If he succeeds, there is a million dollar payday waiting, but failure will mean the death of his family. The difficulty finding the man in question lies in his underworld connections and the elusive qualities of his personality and reputation. The deeper into the underworld our courier gets in tracking down his target, the less the storyline feels familiar or comprehensible.

            The bonus features on the Blu-ray release of The Courier includes a behind-the-scenes featurette as well as extended/deleted scenes from the film. The high definition presentation of the movie is hardly impressive, if only because of how forgettable the film is. This is an interesting failure, but not nearly interesting enough for me to recommend to anyone I respect.