GIVEAWAY CONTEST: 6 Souls Blu-ray

WIN A COPY OF 6 SOULS ON BLU-RAY!

From the producers of The Ring, 6 SOULS stars multiple-Oscar^® nominee and Golden Globe^®Award winner Julianne Moore (HBO’s Game Change, Magnolia), and Golden Globe^® Award winners Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Showtime’s “The Tudors,” Bend It Like Beckham) and Frances Conroy (HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” The Aviator). Written by Michael Cooney (Identity) and co-directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein (Storm), 6 SOULS heads toretail on July 2, 2013

6 SOULS also stars Jeffrey DeMunn (Shawshank Redemption,The Green Mile), Nathan Corddry (The Ugly Truth, The Invention of Lying), Brooklynn Proulx (Brokeback Mountain), and Brian Anthony Wilson (Law Abiding Citizen, Limitless).

To enter the contest, send your name and favorite thriller to ryanizay@yahoo.com

The Call Blu-ray review

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

Language: English

Subtitles: Danish, English, French, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish

Dubbed: French  

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: June 25, 2013

Run Time: 94 minutes

 

        Somewhere in The Call is a fantastic thriller, but the end result is not that film. Instead of being a completely effective film, The Call is 2/3 an excellently executed police procedural thriller, and 1/3 Hollywood dribble. While the accurate technical details make the procedural section engaging, it also serves as a stark contrast to the absurdly illogical manner in which the story concludes. Had the entire film being unrealistic and inaccurate, perhaps The Call could have been dismissed as mindless entertainment, but instead it is an uneven disappointment of greater magnitude. Director Brad Anderson (Transsiberian, The Machinist) is an effective director of suspense, though even he could not save a film from an ending like this. All that can be hoped for is an hour of enjoyment before a groan-inducing ending.

 

        The informational tagline of The Call informs us that there are 188 million 911 calls made each year, which sets up the premise for a film in which the operator is our protagonist. The biggest problem the screenplay seems to have is keeping the 911 operator at the center of the action, and this is done with an unbelievable coincidence and an asinine detour from any believable character decisions. Halle Berry stars as a veteran 911 operator named Jordon, whose mistake during a call results in the death of a caller. She takes leave from her position, until being pulled into another call with a victim in a similar situation. Seeing the opportunity to set things right, Jordon spends a majority of the film on the 911 call.

 

        On the other end of the call is a teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) who is abducted by a psychopath serial killer (Michael Eklund) and shoved in the trunk of his car. With the help of Jordon, this teenager is able to fight back in finding a number of ways to aid the authorities in finding her, from kicking out the brake lights to utilizing tools found in the trunk. Helping to tie in the police investigation to the call Jordon is on is the fact that she is in a relationship with one of the lead cops on the street (played by Morris Chestnut).

 

        This portion of the film is suspenseful while also remaining fairly intelligent. My biggest complaint in the first hour of the film merely has to do with the amount of time we must hear Breslin inaudibly crying her lines out, and the unbelievable way that the operator understands every word she is saying. Realism aside, it is simply unpleasant to listen to someone panic and cry for such a length of time. It deters from the suspense in the situation, focusing a bit too much on engaging the audience in forced emotional attachment which will help make the terrible ending easier to swallow.

 

        The Blu-ray includes an exclusive alternate ending, but it is too little, too late to save this film. There are also some deleted and extended scenes, two set tours, a stunt featurette and Eklund’s audition tape. The Blu-ray also has the DVD special features, which include a making-of featurette and a commentary track with Berry, Breslin and the filmmakers. The combo pack includes a DVD and digital copy as well.   

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance: 3/10

Disc Features: 7/10

 

 

Rectify: Season 1 DVD review

Writers: Ray McKinnon

Producers: Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay

DVD Release Date: June 18, 2013

Run Time: 272 minutes

 

 

        Finding words for a show like this is difficult, both because of the fact that it defies the structure normally adhered to in television drama and because I found myself so completely moved by the experience of watching “Rectify.” I’m no stranger to emotion, and I can be manipulated into reacting to even the most cliché and predictable sentiments, but the way in which “Rectify” was able to move me was different. No manipulation was needed for the amount of empathy this series was able to inspire, and I found myself shedding tears for fictional characters as though they were real. The way in which this series is expertly written, directed and acted suspended my disbelief entirely, and for the moments I was watching each episode, the characters may as well have been real people. In other words, “Rectify” is without a doubt the best drama on television, and it very well may be the best show currently airing in any genre.

 

        There is a compelling premise for the series, involving a man released from 19 years of isolation on death row after new DNA evidence forces the case back open and at least temporarily exonerates him. Daniel Holden (Aden Young) returns home to his family home, although the dynamic has changed since his departure nearly two decades earlier. As well as these adjustments, Daniel also must face the local Georgia community who still believe him to be guilty, despite his release.

 

        Though this storyline would most often result in either a revenge or mystery narrative, “Rectify” is content simply examining how these events affect the characters. This is not an action, mystery, suspense or thriller. It is a drama which has the bold audacity to present audiences with nothing but character development. The closest comparison that I can think to make is “Mad Men,” and that series falls back on the novelty of being a period piece. Still, both these shows share the common ability of carrying audience’s undivided attention by merely creating compelling characters for us to spend time with.

 

        This is not to say that nothing ever happens in “Rectify,” simply that the show’s characters are what makes the series so compelling. We understand the characters more because of the events which occur, but they never seem to manipulatively occur so that this is possible. Events occur slowly, but they feel more sincere because of it.

 

        The first season only has six episodes, leaving audiences waiting for a second season. All episodes are fit onto two discs, along with a handful of special features. The extras include a few promotional featurettes, including an on-set promo ad which ran on the Sundance Channel. There are also several other behind-the-scenes features, including a look at the cast and series creator Ray McKinnon, a man who has mostly made his career as an actor.

 

Entertainment Value: 10/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 10/10

Historical Significance: 8/10

Disc Features: 7/10

 

 

Stoker Blu-ray review

Actors: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode

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

Language: English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English, French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: June 18, 2013

Run Time: 120 minutes

 

 

        South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Thirst) made his name with disturbing thrillers with splashes of aberrant sexuality and shocking body horror, and his English-language debut is a confident continuation of the director’s usual style and themes in a Shakespeare-via-Hitchcockian narrative. Stoker is a unique slow-burn thriller which is highly visually effective in creating an unsettling and disturbing viewing experience, with a unique screenplay by Wentworth Miller which will keep you on the edge of your seat just trying to figure out what will happen next.

 

         Mia Wasikowska heads up the cast as India Stoker, an antisocial teenager whose father has just died in a tragic accident, leaving her and her mother (Nicole Kidman) to grieve. The death of her father also brings a visiting uncle (Matthew Goode), whose intentions are unclear. He draws closer to India’s mother, but seems to share more in common with the dark India, who shared a particularly adept skill at hunting with her deceased father.

 

        Things move slowly in Stoker, though this allows for the tension and suspense to build. We are not given a direct line into the thinking and logic of the film’s characters, and therefore their actions often come as a surprise.  Park’s films invite us to watch the actions of his characters, rarely ever inviting us to empathize with what they are feeling. Some may find Stoker is too full of unlikable or disturbing characters, but the excellence in the filmmaking makes this a compelling film despite any emotional detachment it requires.

 

        The Blu-ray release of Stoker includes a digital HD instant stream and download. The special features on the disc include a promotional featurette, three making-of features, a handful of deleted scenes and some red carpet premiere footage, including a performance by Emily Wells. There are actually quite a few extras for a small thriller like this.

Entertainment Value: 7.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 9/10

Historical Significance: 8/10

Disc Features: 8/10

 

 

Movie 43 Blu-ray review

Actors: Emma Stone, Stephen Merchant, Richard Gere, Liev Schreiber, Chloë Grace Moretz

Directors: Elizabeth Banks, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner, Griffin Dunne, James Duffy

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

Language: English (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: June 18, 2013

Run Time: 120 minutes

 

 

        Websites like Funny Or Die have opened up the world of short comedy skits online, and Movie 43 feels like a Hollywood attempt to cash in on this type of humor. Even when moments of the film work, the entirety is pretty much doomed to fail from the beginning. The inconsistency of all anthology films is to be considered, and the modern audience is accustomed to watching short comedy skits like this on the internet, where it can be skipped or stopped if not meeting the viewer’s requirements for entertainment. In watching this film, the audience is stuck into the forced enduring the whole of comedic excess and miscalculations.

 

        Part of the problem with the theatrical cut of the film is the half-ass way in which the short films are all joined together in a loose book-ending structure starring Dennis Quaid as a desperate washed up filmmaker attempting to sell any number of ideas to a producer played by Greg Kinnear and a studio executive played by Common. This through-line contains a number of name actors, but the short films just seem spliced into the storyline sporadically. It often makes very little sense, nor do the filmmakers seem to care, even tossing the illusion of filmmaking aside entirely by the close of the skit. The alternate version, which is included in this Blu-ray release, is actually much more coherent despite missing the star names. It features a group of teens seeking out a mysterious film on the internet, finding other banned films in the process.

 

        As for the individual shorts included in each of the versions, they are filled with humor which is continually intentionally offensive while only momentarily humorous and not always intentionally so. Most films just attempt shock humor, though few actually succeed in anything funny or unexpected. What is most shocking about this film is the large number of actors involved, and not surprising is how long it took to get made. Along the process, some of the wiser actors like Richard Gere attempted to escape the project. Others such as George Clooney were wise enough to stay away altogether.

 

        The Blu-ray release features an additional short film directed by Bob Odenkirk and starring Tony Shalhoub and Julianne Moore. I would work harder at panning this film, but the critics have already bashed this tasteless comedy far more than it deserves. Far from good, Movie 43 is simply harmless bad taste and lowbrow humor; albeit so low it may as well be pubic hair.

 

Entertainment Value: 5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 4/10

Historical Significance: 3/10

Disc Features: 4/10

 

 

The Last Exorcism Part II Blu-ray review

Actors: Ashley Bell, Julia Garner, Spencer Treat Clark, David Jensen, Tarra Riggs

Director: Ed Gass-Donnelly

Writers: Ed Gass-Donnelly, Andrew Gurland, Damien Chazelle, Huck Botko

Producers: Eli Roth, Eric Newman, Gabrielle Neimand

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

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: June 18, 2013

Run Time: 88 minutes

        The only way I can think to review a film like this is by directing it at the type of people who enjoyed the first film. I myself don’t enjoy supernatural horror, including exorcism films, as much as I do other sub-genres, so I was not the target audience for a film like this. I can understand preference playing into most people’s choice in watching a film like this, but even without enjoying them I am able to appreciate which are well made and which are not. I was surprised by the effectiveness of certain elements of The Last Exorcism: Part II, and under-whelmed by the rest. Despite a few sincerely eerie moments and a creative reinventing of the franchise’s format, this sequel is more forgettable than not.

 

        The first film utilized the found footage format from a fake documentary crew traveling to perform a fake exorcism on a girl whose family claims her to be possessed. This sweet backwater girl named Nell Sweeter (Ashley Bell) returns after the carnage at the close of the first film, surviving without any hint of her former demonic possession. After being sent to a group home, Nell becomes convinced that the entire incident was merely a hallucination of her mind, until the truth is revealed.

 

        We are no longer in the found footage format in this sequel, but this doesn’t necessarily make any of the possession material any less harrowing. Unfortunately, there is far too much of an attempt at a complex back-story. By the time we begin dealing with the demon possession, it is difficult to care about what is happening. There is not a clear enough villain or victim in this franchise to ensure repeat sequels. There is a reason everyone remembers The Exorcist and very few have seen its many sequels.

 

        The Blu-ray release includes a digital copy of the film, as well as a number of special features which are exclusive to this disc. There is a featurette about Nell’s story and a commentary with producer Eli Roth and director Ed Gass-Donnelly which can only be found on the Blu-ray release. There is also a featurette about the films setting in New Orleans.

Entertainment Value: 3/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

Historical Significance: 2/10

Disc Features: 7/10

 

 

The Brass Teapot Blu-ray review

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

Language: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Magnolia

DVD Release Date: June 18, 2013

Run Time: 101 minutes

 

 

The Brass Teapot plays like an episode from any number of the more lighthearted genre anthology television shows such as “The Twilight Zone.” The format of anthologies in television often restrict the time to the point of permitting a single idea or concept. The Brass Teapot feels as though it is abiding to these restrictions despite having a feature length running time.

 

         John and Alice (Michael Angarano and Juno Temple) are high school sweethearts trying to make a life for themselves despite their depleting income. John works as a failing telemarketing insurance salesman, while Alice relies on him financially as she works on a useless Masters degree in Art History. Alice appears to be Eve in this transparent fable about the loss of innocence paired with greed and money, as the one who steals the magical teapot and easily transforms into a bully who abuses and picks on her nerdy husband whenever he doesn’t do as she pleases. Alice is more attractive than john, so we allow her to be the more unsavory of the two, though by the end I found myself only wishing for a happy ending for one of them.

 

        The teapot in question is discovered in a small shop, and soon after she steals it from a little old lady, Alice finds that it has special powers. The mystical teapot reacts to pain with a reward, spitting out money for every act of abuse occurring near it. First Alice hurts herself in order to get money, but as soon as her husband arrives home from real work, she begins abusing him instead. By beating her husband, Alice becomes the breadwinner in the family. Next comes the emotional abuse, and instigated by Alice, the couple sit at a table and say mean things to each other. We discover Alice’s disloyalty, and yet we are still supposed to care about this deranged couple.

 

        The film progresses naturally from there, until finally resolving a manner which was too neat for me too appreciate. Somehow it feels as though no lesson was learned if the offenders end up rewarded. The Blu-ray includes a number of special features, from promotional featurettes to additional material. There is even a commentary track with director Ramaa Mosley and executive producer P. Jennifer Dana.

 

       

       

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

Historical Significance: 4/10

Disc Features: 7/10

 

 

The Rambler Blu-ray review

Actors: Dermot Mulroney, Lindsay Pulsipher

Director: Calvin Reeder

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

Release Date: June 25, 2013

Run Time: 99 minutes

         This sophomore feature from filmmaker Calvin Reeder solidifies his stature as a blatant David Lynch copycat. From the jarring editing and a nonsensical narrative to the surreal characters and dream-like situations, The Rambler doesn’t just seem to borrow from films like Mulholland Dr. and Lost Highway as much as poorly imitate. Like The Oregonian, Reeder’s first feature, The Rambler is purposefully confounding in both narrative and the unconventional yet intentionally jarring manner in which the story is presented. Even the worst of Lynch was more interesting and more coherent than this muddled misstep, but fans of experimental horror may enjoy the unsettling images and editing compiled in The Rambler. Others may find that this 99 minute film feels much, much longer.   

 

         The basic plot of The Rambler seems impossibly simple, and perhaps this is because the feature film is actually based on a 12 minute short that Reeder completed in 2008. Dermot Mulroney stars as the nameless rambler, on his way cross country to work with his brother on a horse ranch after being released from prison early for good behavior. He makes a brief appearance back home, but after discovering the unfaithfulness of his wife and the bleakness of this existence, he makes plans to join his brother for a peaceful existence in Oregon.

 

         This peace is not easily found, as the rambler quickly discovers how quickly random violence occurs on the road. As he hitches rides across the country with his guitar in tow, rarely seeming to lose his hat and never parting with his sunglasses, this expressionless traveler comes across a cornucopia of quirky characters that range from harmless to homicidal. Oddly combining both of these attributes is the film’s more compelling character, a mad professor played by James Cady. He has a device which is said to copy dreams onto VHS, but it has a bad habit of exploding the subject’s heads instead.

 

         This type of shock gore occurs randomly throughout The Rambler, as it did in Reeder’s debut, but I would not place in the category of horror. It seems an appreciation of horror may be necessary to enjoy this film, however, if enjoyment is indeed intended. There is a sincerity missing from Reeder’s material, which makes it difficult to tell whether this film is intended to have meaning or simply meant to aggravate and infuriate the audience. Or perhaps the filmmaker has no clue what any of it means, choosing to stylistically steal from other directors without figuring out what any of it means. Honestly, I could care less either way. Sincere or not, I didn’t enjoy The Rambler, but that has less to do with the gore or confounding filmmaking. By the end I was just bored. This material was better suited for 12 minutes.

 

         The Blu-ray is void of special features, though there are technical aspects of the filmmaking which are inarguably enhanced by high definition. You don’t have to like it to appreciate the talent that went behind the nonsense.

 

Entertainment Value: 4/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 3/10

Historical Significance: 1/10

Disc Features: 0/10

 

 

In Old Arizona Blu-ray review

Format: Blu-ray, DTS Surround Sound, Full Screen, NTSC, Restored, Subtitled

Language: English (Mono)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: June 4, 2013

Run Time: 99 minutes

 

        With the arrival of the “talkie,” sound pictures were quickly integrated into each studio. In one short year, the new technology had spread across the industry and into each genre. Some films were later in arriving to the world of sound than others. Musicals and dramas filmed on studio lots and sets were first to be wired for sound, whereas it took a bit longer for the films shot on location.

 

        One of the defining characteristics of a western is the wide open terrain of real locations. In Old Arizona was not only the first western sound feature, but it was also the first “talkie” shot outdoors. Granted, much of the exterior action happens on a small set, very rarely showing the expansive terrain westerns were known for. There is one main robbery sequence at the beginning of the film which takes place completely outdoors. This is some of the poorest sound in the film, but it is also history in the making. Looking back at some of the first digitally created special effects is also comical now, but at the time it was impressive. I can only imagine what the film industry must have looked like in 1929.

 

        The story is a simple love triangle set in the west, though the film’s ending is far more daring than anything you would expect to see in a mainstream film. In some ways the narrative seems to have the sentimentality of a film noir, set in a cheerful western. A charming and friendly bandit named The Cisco Kid (Warner Baxter) coincidentally makes friends with the very sheriff (Edmund Lowe) trying to kill him. In a ploy to destroy the “bad guy,” the sheriff enlists the help of The Cisco Kid’s unfaithful lover (Dorothy Burgess).

 

        This woman is the infamous bandit’s one weakness, although she is vain and self-serving. More interested in proving that she can get any man she wants than staying faithful, The Cisco Kid’s woman quickly jumps into bed with the sheriff in a plan to kill the bandit and steal his loot. Directed by Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings and featuring an Oscar-winning performance by Baxter, In Old Arizona is a clunky little western offering endless enjoyment despite its flaws. The Blu-ray release transfers what I can only assume is the best existing print, though not much restoration seems to have been done. The sound and picture go in and out depending on the scene, due to aging and typical wear.

  

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance: 10/10

Disc Features: 1/10

 

 

12 Rounds 2: Reloaded Blu-ray review

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English, French, Spanish

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: June 4, 2013

Run Time: 95 minutes

        WWE Studios has a bad habit of continuing every franchise, regardless of whether the narratives match up or any of the original cast members are willing to return. They simply see the opportunity to latch on to any minor previous success in order to completely bleed it dry of profit. All of the straight-to-home-entertainment sequels from this studio have a recycled production line feel about them, making the product a shadow of the original product.

 

        The one perk that the studio has found from using a fresh cast with the sequels is the opportunity it provides for more “professional” wrestlers in the WWE lineup. 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded is Randy Orton’s turn to step into the action hero role, with a terrorist-type storyline that is similar to the original 12 Rounds. Paramedic Nick Malloy (Orton) is pulled into the sick games of a psychopath (Brian Markinson) seeking revenge for an incident in the past, resulting in the title rounds. These rounds are not referring to the ammunition of a weapon, but instead reference the levels of the game that Malloy is forced to play in order to protect the one he loves.

 

        A premise such as this provides an opportunity for endless creativity, especially since the film is not tied down by anything from the original movie. It would seem that they could have had a lot of fun with the action sequences, but much of this movie instead quietly plods along the expected routes, hardly even making proper use of the set-up. Even for a sloppy sequel, too much of the film’s action is completely forgettable.

 

        The Blu-ray release includes a commentary track with director Roel Reiné and editor Radu Ion, along with a featurettes about Orton, the locations and the action in the film. The package also includes a DVD and digital copy of the film. 

       

Entertainment Value: 4/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 3/10

Historical Significance: 1/10

Disc Features: 6/10

 

 

The Emperor's New Groove and Lilo and Stitch Double Feature Blu-ray reviews

Actors: David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick

Director: Mark Dindal

Writers: Mark Dindal, Roger Allers, Matthew Jacobs, David Reynolds, Chris Williams

Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Special Edition, 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: 1.66:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: G (General Audience)

Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Run Time: 78 minutes

        There are two periods of Disney animation features which are generally considered to be the golden eras. The 1930s all the way through the 1950s were spectacular for the studio, and the 1990s saw a revival of this success. There are also periods of films which are neglected and seen as sub-par for Disney standards. Lilo and Stitch and the Emperor’s New Groove fall into this secondary class, and for this reason their release on Blu-ray is padded with the straight-to-video sequel.      

 

        The Emperor’s New Groove follows the tradition which Disney had long implemented, adapting a well-known fable into a family friendly animation. The story of the emperor and his vanity’s ability to blind him from the fact that he is naked is turned into a story about the spoiled Emperor Kuzco, who is turned into a llama by his sinister advisor, Yzma.

 

        Stranded outside of his palace and his body, the emperor is forced to rely on a peasant to help him restore normalcy. Along the journey, Kuzco is forced to grow as a person as humility is required for his new form. Relying on the help of those below him is something that the emperor is accustomed to, though being forced to acknowledge these contributions is new to the ruler.

 

        The second film in the set is Kronk’s New Groove, which plays up the scene-stealing character that is Yzma’s lumbering henchman voiced by Patrick Warburton. The story doesn’t develop much in terms of plot, though it can be said that the return of the original voice talent does help a great deal.

 

        Both of these films are combined on the Blu-ray disc, with the second and third discs being the DVD copies of each film. The special features are also on the DVD copies exclusively, allowing for a three-disc package with only one new disc to manufacture. The special features missing from the Blu-ray are nothing new as a result, but just the same ones previously released.

 

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 2/10

 

Actors: Chris Sanders, Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, Ving Rhames, David Ogden-Stiers

Directors: Chris Sanders, Dean Deblois

Writers: Chris Sanders

Format: Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Animated

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: 1.66:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Disney

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Run Time: 85 minutes

            The small creature at the focus of the film, the Stitch to Lilo and Stitch, was actually conceived by director Chris Sanders in 1985, and the film itself seems to be a throwback to those old days of Disney. Released in 2002, you would think that Lilo and Stitch was released prior to the Pixar craze, but that’s what made the film original at the time. While computer animation was starting to take over, Lilo and Stitch had watercolor backgrounds, a throwback to the days of Dumbo (1941). This was the first time this method had been used in over sixty years by Disney, but also implemented computer colorization and other technological advantages which make the film something of an anomaly.

 

        The film was originally meant to take place in Kansas, but in keeping true to the Disney effort to change location and culture with each animated film, Lilo and Stitch was moved to Hawaii. It is important that the island which they put the characters on is Kauai, because the alien Stitch is designed to find and destroy large cities, and there are none on this specific Hawaiian island. Stitch is an alien, sort of. He is a creature created by an alien scientist, and his only purpose is destruction. He is the cartoon pet equivalent of the destructive dog, Marley, content only in ruining things.

 

        The other half of Lilo and Stitch is a character common throughout every generation of Disney animation; the orphaned child. Lilo is not alone after the death of her parents, thankfully still in the custody of her struggling older sister. Before Stitch comes along, Lilo has few friends and an aptitude for destruction of her own, but she looks to be well-behaved in comparison to the little monstrous pet. The fact that Lilo and her sister have been visited by a CPS officer named Cobra Bubbles, threatening to take Lilo away if the home situation doesn’t improve, does not improve Stitch’s chances of blending in. He is forced to stay with Lilo as a way to keep out of alien grasp, but the destruction he is trained to enact must be stifled if he is to become a part of the family.

 

        As was the case with the Emperor’s New Groove package, the straight-to-video sequel is included on the Blu-ray disc with the original film, with the DVD of each as the second and third discs in the set. Special features are nothing new and remain only on the DVD copies.

 

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 3/10

 

 

Killing Lincoln Blu-ray review

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English (DTS 5.1)

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Run Time: 120 minutes

 

        With Ridley Scott and the late Tony Scott as executive producers, Killing Lincoln is a documentary which is approached with the expertise of a Hollywood Blockbuster. Few re-enactment sequences are this polished and visually compelling, not to mention being done with more than a modicum of convincing acting. This paired with an intimate narration from Tom Hanks makes Killing Lincoln one of the hippest presentations of accurate American history available. 

 

        The film is based on the best-selling book by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard and was originally aired on the National Geographic Channel. Billy Campbell from TV’s “The Killing” plays President Abraham Lincoln, though he is hardly the star of this recreation documentary. The emphasis remains on a John Wilkes Booth’s angry journey to the first Presidential assassination in American history, played by Jesse Johnson.

 

        There are many elements within Killing Lincoln which work well. In fact, an argument could be made that each of the elements on their own are fine, but none of them seem to go together. Some of the actor’s underplay the drama, while other over-do it. The film looks fantastic, but relies on the narration of Hanks to tell us everything we are seeing, as we are seeing it. Then it often repeats it again, over-simplifying material to the point that it is almost comically suspenseful. The end result is something that I would show to an elementary student in order to keep them entertained in history, but wouldn’t recommend it for many discerning fans of history or the book.  

 

        The Blu-ray release includes an audio commentary with executive producer and screenwriter Erik Jendresen, as well as an interview with O’Reilly. There is a making-of featurette and a whole slew of promotional material made to pump up the anticipation for the television debut.

 

Entertainment Value: 5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

Historical Significance: 5/10

Disc Features: 5/10

 

 

Brooklyn Castle DVD review

Actors: Pobo Efekoro, Alexis Paredes, Justus Williams, Rochelle Ballantyne, Patrick Johnston

Directors: Katie Dellamaggiore

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG

Studio: Millennium

DVD Release Date: June 4, 2013

Run Time: 101 minutes

        If you are feeling down after watching the unfortunate outcasts being bullied in Bully, throw this documentary on as a companion piece. Brooklyn Castle is about an inner city junior high school where the smart kids who play chess are actually the popular kids. When you are successful, the bullying seems to stop. Usually smart kids must wait until they have grown and become fully educated in order to see this kind of respect obtained, but an inexplicable amount of success playing chess brought it a little early for some of these Brooklyn pre-teens.

 

        The game of chess itself is not that thrilling to watch, especially considering the matches can last up to three hours. What makes Brooklyn Castle a successful documentary isn’t even the game itself, but the participants. The personal struggles each of the individual students share with the camera are far more compelling than how they rank, and the fight that the teachers must make in order to keep the program afloat amidst harsh budget cuts has more impact than the final result of tournaments.

 

        Each student seems to have their own individual goals and reason for playing the game, especially in a program which is so advanced that it offers up to seven classes a week. Winning is addicting, and the level of dedication that is expected of the students makes it clear that they treat chess as more than a game. The DVD includes deleted scenes.

       

Entertainment Value: 7.5/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 3/10

 

 

Falling Skies: The Complete Second Blu-ray review

Actors: Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Drew Roy, Maxim Knight, Seychelle Gabriel

Producers: Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Remi Aubuchon, Greg Beeman

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Date: June 4, 2013

        If you like “The Walking Dead” but want more sci-fi and less horror, “Falling Skies” may be the show for you. If you repeatedly watch “Battlestar Galactica” but don’t find the melodrama cheesy, “Falling Skies” may be a perfect fit. For all of the rest, this show may have too much melodrama and sci-fi geekiness to overcome. It may sound as though I’m being harsh on the show, but it is on-par with TNT programming, and it is better than some of the other alien projects Steven Spielberg has attached himself to in the past decade.

 

Though the storyline has some similarities to “The Walking Dead,” this show is heavy on sci-fi and gets even more entangled in other-worldly characters by the close of the second season. Soon there will be as many alien characters as human ones. Noah Wyle heads up the cast as a former history teacher who has learned to become a leader with the alien invasion. He and his sons fight the aliens with their group, but season two complicates the battle.

 

There are several types of aliens, including the typical tall and lanky ones who are the main invaders. They first attacked and stole many of the human children, so that they could be harnessed and made to integrate into the invader’s army. The second season makes it clear that the other type of alien doing destruction on earth are actually harnessed from another planet. The close of season two brings the arrival of yet another species or race of aliens to earth.

 

Though the direction of this storyline is rather obvious, season two takes its time getting anywhere with the new revelations. Human advisors and leaders refuse to believe that any of the aliens can be there to help, postponing an inevitable alliance against the invaders. There are many frustrating aspects to the narrative, including some annoying melodrama, but the good mostly outweighs the bad.

 

The Blu-ray release of season two includes all ten episodes on two discs, along with special features. There are several featurettes, including behind-the-scenes and set tours. There is also a preview of season three and audio commentaries on select episodes. One of the more creative features is an animated trailer for the second season which was created by Dark Horse Comics.

       

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 6/10

Historical Significance: 5/10

Disc Features: 8.5/10