Red Vs Blue - Season One - The Blood Gulch Chronicles Review

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(More customer reviews)IMPORTANT: I don't know why the sellers think the kind of prices I'm currently seeing for this are reasonable, but as of the time I'm writing this review the cheapest price here is roughly DOUBLE what you would pay at the official Rooster Teeth website for the same DVD. (Rooster Teeth is what they call the group that makes this series.)
The Red vs Blue series is a great deal of fun to watch. Characters constantly throw around funny lines and find their way into absurd-but-amusing situations.
The series is an example of machinima, which refers to playing out a story by using the graphics engine of a video game. In this case they used the popular shooter game Halo. They basically use one character as the camera operator, and have him watch the other characters act out whatever needs to be done. The video is directed to a computer, and they later add recorded voices and edit it all together into coherent scenes.
These DVDs haven't been rated, so I'll try to give you a basic sense of what to expect. Since they use Halo to produce all of the images, you won't see anything worse in terms of violence or gore than you would in a game of Halo (which is rated as appropriate for teenagers by the ESRB). Generally, in fact, you'll see quite a bit less violence since Halo is a game about combat, where the violence is constant, and the characters in Red vs Blue spend most of their time talking to each other. HOWEVER there is a substantial amount of profanity. As they got to later episodes and realized that their fan base was turning out to include people somewhat younger than originally expected they cut back on that somewhat, but it still continues to appear. Also, the characters spend a large part of their time insulting each other in one way or another, if that kind of thing happens to bother you.
If you go to the official Rooster Teeth website, they allow you to download the current season's episodes (as well as some older episodes) in a low resolution format, playable in either Quicktime or Windows Media Player. That will give you plenty of opportunity to watch a few minutes and get a sense of whether you'll enjoy an entire DVD's worth.
Note, however, that there'll actually be a small amount of content from the episodes on the website that's cut when it's all edited together to make a DVD. That's because at the end of each episode it fades to black, and in many the character's keep talking for several more seconds. Each episode is only a few minutes long, and so when they're edited into a movie for the DVD they have to cut the sections where the screen is black in order to avoid disrupting the flow. In some cases they specially made an additional few seconds of "footage" to slip in so that they wouldn't have to cut any jokes, but in other cases they simply cut the last several seconds off of a scene. They never remove anything important this way, but if you're deciding between subscribing on the website to get the high resolution versions as downloads, or waiting to buy the seasonal DVDs, you may very well care about those small snippets that are being lost.
Each DVD also includes a commentary vocal track, a few outtakes, some mock-PSAs (Public Service Announcements), and some small jokes that appear if you click the right series of buttons on your DVD controls.

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Comedy "A gruff sargent. An unlucky ghost.A psychotic mercenary. A sarcastic slacker. Two morons. A tank... War is hell. In the distant future, ten soldiers battle for control of the least desirable piece of real estate in the known universe - a box canyon in the middle of nowhere."

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Secret of the Ooze / Turtles in Time / TMNT) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ever since I started watching blu-ray last year, I had always wondered when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies would come out on blu-ray. They've been overdue for a remastering, and plus, their anniversary is this year, so what better timing? I saw this set pop up right here on Amazon and I saw that my wish had finally been fulfilled. The question is, though, did they get the remastering they deserved?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The classic that everyone knows and loves. It's darker in tone than the other three, thus capturing the original comic book feel that Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman gunned for back when they did the original comics. Of course, parents didn't like it, so the tone didn't stay in future sequels. However, the literal darkness of the film happens to be the achilles' heel of this release. There's grain all over the place. It looks as if they transferred some of it, but didn't bother to do it on some scenes. One scene where Raph wanders out in broad daylight wearing a trench coat is where the grain is at it's worst, believe it or not. The dark scenes ALL have grain all over them. Some scenes are entirely devoid of any grain, though. So, what gives Warner Bros.? Couldn't touch all of it up? Now, believe me when I say this: This is the best the movie has ever looked. However, it lacks the detail of better blu-ray releases (though some of the detail is noticeable in the costumes of the Turtles), and the grain was to be expected, considering how dark the movie originally was, and as well as it being rather low-budget when it was first shot. The animatronics still stand the test of time, and this is the best they've ever looked, but I still wish more effort was put into reducing the grain and enhancing the details in a lot of scenes. Overall, if you don't mind grain in your films, you'll be fine with it, but this could be better.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze - My personal favorite of the collection. I've watched this countless times growing up on VHS. It looked rough then, but blu-ray has done it some justice. The grain isn't nearly as bad as the first movie, which is a plus, and it's not even noticeable much at all in brighter scenes. Plus, the detail has been enhanced to a fault. It's still not quite perfect in any regards, but I was satisfied overall withe visual quality. Tokka looks great with ever little greasy detail on his scaly body, and in the opening scene in the robbery, you can actually make out the faces of the robbers through their panty hose masks. This is also the best animatronics of the three live-action movies, and is timeless in it's execution. This is the best the movie has ever looked, though there are still some steps that could be made to better the picture just a little more. I was happy with it, though.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - I'm not typing "Turtles in Time" next to it because some idiot at Warner Bros. put that on the box. That is not the official subtitle to the movie, it's the name of the Arcade/SNES video game, and it's a very good one, at that. Anyways, this is the most hated of the series, and within good reason The plot features absolutely no key villains from the Turtles universe, the animatronics are terrible (their lips flap around like Big Mouth Billy Bass) as they weren't Jim Henson's work like the previous movies, and the plot overall is so-so. However, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I don't really remember watching it as a child, just the first two movies, so I'm really taking this viewing as a first, to my recollection. As for the transfer, it's the best of the three live-action movies by far. Besides a tiny bit of grain in the opening scene with the samurais riding in the sunrise, there's no more to be found. The Turtles looked highly detailed, right down to the pores on the costumes. The lush Japanese setting looks gorgeous in this transfer, and it really makes the movie that much more bearable to watch. While it lacks a sound plot and has laughably bad animatronics, it looks very well done. If only this much effort were put into the previous two, this would be the best package possible.
TMNT - I actually saw this in theatres the day after it came out, I owned it on DVD first day, and I got it on blu-ray last Christmas, so this is actually a triple-dip retail buy, for me. The plot is solid, though it it is reminiscent of the goofy single episode plots they used to have in the 80's cartoons, mixed in with some internal struggle amongst the Turtles, especially Raph and Leo, of course. Some say Mike and Don play nothing but mere cameos, but they make a significant enough appearance to make an impact. There's enough laughs to know that at least Mikey is around in good quantity. As for the picture quality, it looks exactly as it did before on blu-ray, and that means there's nothing wrong with it. It is blu-ray perfection. Screenshots do not do it justice. Every turtle is brilliantly detailed, you can see every hair on Splinter, every detail in every wall, and don't even get me started on one key fight over halfway through the movie that I will not reveal due to possibly spoiling the movie. This fight, which takes place in the rain, is one of the single most gorgeous pieces of CG work I have ever seen. It's brilliantly animated, just as the rest of the movie is, and the amount of detail is mind-blowing. This movie is one of the greatest showpieces for the blu-rat format you will ever find, only to be rivaled by Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, which still stands as the most gorgeous movie of all time, in my eyes. A perfect picture for a great CG movie, overall.
As for extras, you get everything previous releases got. That's it. The only difference is that there's a trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up, coming to the Wii and PS2 next month, on the first movie's disc, but it's the very first trailer released, so its nothing new. It's just mastered in hi-def, though the actual game will look nothing like it, so what's the use? Overall, Warner did a terrible job for adding any special interviews, featurettes, or commentaries to commemorate the 25th Anniversary. I could personally care less about extra features, but those that are steamed about it are within good reason.
The extras we DO get, however, is part of the packaging. As you can see in the pictures one member nicely posted, it comes in a pizza box-esque design. I love it. It's actually much sturdier than you'd think, and the discs hold into their trays rather tightly. You also get 8 collectible cards, a reproduction sketch signed by Peter Laird (though it's printed, not actually signed), a reproduction of the original comic by Eastman and Laird that is based off of the original movie, an a beanie hat, which looks like it'd fit a younger head rather than an adult head, though I haven't unpackaged it for collectible reasons. It's a nice package overall, though many have complained about it not being in normal elite cases. You can always do custom cases, but this works perfectly fine and suits the collection well.
You may be wondering "Why the 4 stars?" after the first two movies weren't done as well as they could have been, but it's simple: This is the best they've looked. If you want a better picture for all of them, this is the only way to go, and they all look better, especially the last two. I did knock off a star because they didn't go the extra mile for the release by adding extra bonus features nor remastering the first two movies as thoroughly as they should have. However, hardcore Turtle fans like me will love it, I can say that much. It's worth the $60, in my eyes, but if you're only particular of getting the first movie (which I have found many are), wait up on this release. One can hope that it will get a re-release down the line from Warner like 300 and The Matrix have gotten, and hopefully, with better quality, as it's the one that got the short end of the stick, and the one most people will likely not be that satisfied with. However, if you want Turtles II and onward, they all look good to fantastic, so it's worth the purchase.

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Cowabunga, Dudes! Blu-ray Collection Includes All 4 Films with Radical Extras and Collectibles! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time, and TMNT.

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Split Second (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a weakness for Rutger Hauer movies that needs to be satiated every few months if I am to function. I cannot specify one specific trait about this actor that I find so satisfying. Is it his acting skills, which are substantial even though he often appears in low budget junk? Or is it his presence, a physically imposing stature that makes him a natural to play cops or bad guys equally well? I guess both of these traits play a part. Hauer is a phenomenal entertainer, always turning in a great performance even if the movie is mediocre. Check out the scene in the made for cable television film "Fatherland" where Hauer tells his son a story about an old watchmaker. It's a mesmerizing piece of acting that is deeply moving. Most of this actor's films don't have as good a script as that movie does, but even still Hauer manages to stand head and shoulders above his co-stars. One of my latest fixes for this actor's work found me digging up a copy of "Split Second," an apocalyptic sort of tale from the early '90s that I have had a fondness for since I saw it ten years ago.
In the near future-London of 2008, to be exact-the world has undergone serious weather disturbances. Global warming melted a significant portion of the earth's icecaps, resulting in serious flooding in port cities around the world. London itself is often under several feet of water, requiring residents to wear waterproof clothing and footwear anytime they go outside. Hauer plays a cop named Harley Stone, a throwback to the old days of police work when a guy pounded a beat and employed tried and true techniques to solve crimes. Stone lives like a slob, constantly eating chocolate truffles, drinking, and generally taking poor care of himself. But he's a good cop, one of the best, and anytime a murder occurs he's not far from the scene. Stone's methods rile the rank and file, especially his boss Paulsen (Pete Postalthwaite). This cop continually hassles Stone about his rogue way of bringing in the bad guys, but can't bring himself to retire his star detective. And now he needs Harley Stone more than ever as a vicious murderer rampages across London. This criminal seems to worship the occult and mutilates the victims in the most heinous of ways.
In order to keep an eye on the department renegade, Paulsen assigns an egghead named Dick Durbin (Neil Duncan) to act as Stone's new partner. Durbin's one of these guys with way too much schooling; he's got a ton of degrees, including a doctorate from Oxford, and a tendency to harp on Harley about eating right and exercising. As the two detectives investigate the latest round of zodiac style killings, dropping wisecracks along the way, a former squeeze of Harley's named Michelle (Kim Cattrall) enters the picture. Meanwhile, the gruesome crimes continue, with the criminal specifically targeting Stone in order to mock his adversary. As if by magic, the killer manages to leave a grotesque surprise in a box at the cop shop, addressed to Harley Stone and wrapped with a lot of love. The cops know they have to do something soon before even more citizens fall victim to this nefarious evildoer. Moreover, alarming evidence increasingly points to supernatural origin for the killer. When Durbin and Stone finally confront this creature face to face, all of Durbin's educated veneer collapses like a wet bag. He goes along with Stone completely now, muttering the same line repeatedly until it turns into a mantra: "We need guns. Big guns." The inevitable showdown in the sewers of London is more fun than it should be from a movie of this caliber.
"Split Second" was a better film the first time than the second time around. The first viewing came at a time when I could care less about such fundamental cinematic concepts as structured plot, a good script, and believable characters. While the characters in this movie are largely believable and interesting, the script and the plot leave a lot to be desired. The dialogue is the same sort of stuff we hear in every action film made since the 1960s. Durbin and Stone are your typical old cop/young cop team, with all the attendant baggage that cliché implies. Stone at first despises his new protégé but soon learns to grudgingly admire the guy. Durbin initially scoffs at Harley's bad behavior and unorthodox police skills, but soon falls in line when he learns the older detective was right all along. Moreover, the plot is the typical B budget potboiler with more holes than a pound of Swiss cheese. How, for instance, did a demonic beast manage to leave a box in the middle of a heavily guarded police station without anyone seeing him? In broad daylight? C'mon! Suspension of disbelief is a prerequisite for watching these types of films, but "Split Second" pushes the envelope beyond the tearing point. Another point against the film is Kim Cattrall, who doesn't have much to do except act the part of the imperiled female. Too, her hair makes her look like Moe Howard on a bad day.
Yet, despite these immense and inestimable flaws, "Split Second" is highly entertaining. The idea has heart even if it rips off "Aliens" and every other scary sci-fi flick known to man. Durbin and Stone are fun to watch as they savagely riff off one another. It's too bad the DVD presents few extras and only a full screen picture transfer. Rutger Hauer fans will want to add this one to their collections soon, but unfortunately it looks like it is out of print. Try and find a copy somewhere, though, because it is ultimately an entertaining piece of fluff good for passing a few hours.

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Puppet Master Boxset Review

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(More customer reviews)The Puppet Master movies have never been considered high art by any means but they can be very entertaining in the nice B-Movie vein. What makes the series so likeable is the unique puppet characters and nifty effects. Sure the series starts to take a nose dive towards the end (with "Curse of the.." and "Retro...") but again what franchise doesn't? Charles Band's (a well known name in the world of low budget horror and science fiction) Full Moon Entertainment always releases their films with eye catching cover art and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage. Full Moon always seemed to be taking the consumers and fans in the highest regard when it came to VHS. Now let see how they treated the fans for the now ultra rare box set of the Puppet Master series.
The Box set at first glance seems like a well done job. We get all 7 Puppet Master movies housed in a nice box with a bonus disc called "45 Trailer Reel". All the movies contain their original box art (Except the box to Puppet Master has the title changed to "Puppet Master I" making me wonder if Full Moon thought their fans were morons) but the printing on the inserts isn't the highest quality. This is easily forgiven. All the DVDs contain amazing menu designs that are all animated and are like little cartoons themselves. Every DVD also contains the original behind the scenes "Videozone" as well as cast and crew bios so the extras were good.
The picture quality for the most part is on par with other Full Moon releases. Overall the digital transfer isn't great and is sub-par to other big name film companies such as MGM and Warner Bros. Still the films are far from unwatchable. The only film that didn't make the grade when it came to picture quality was Puppet Master II. The picture quality on this DVD is pathetic and worse than its VHS counterpart. The film has moments when the picture even goes digital. It hits its ultimate low when towards the end of the film the picture gets an annoying wavy effect traveling down the screen. I can't believe Full Moon released this movie with such a terrible transfer. It's a shame because every box set that was made has this terrible version of Puppet Master II with the wavy picture. (whats even more strange is the "stock footage" from Puppet Master II that was edited into Curse of the Puppet Master also contains the wavy effect).
Other than the Puppet Master II DVD, this box set is a great way to get all the Puppet Master movies in one place. There's not much for new for extras as the Videozone's were previously released on the VHS tapes but its still great to have them. The box set would garner a 4 rating if it weren't for the sub-par treatment of the Puppet Master II DVD. Hopefully if Full Moon ever gets the rights issues resolved with Paramount Pictures they will re-release the box set and fix the problem with the Puppet Master II transfer.

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Includes PUPPET MASTER, PUPPET MASTER II, PUPPET MASTER III, PUPPET MASTER 4, PUPPET MASTER 5, CURSE OF THE PUPPET MASTER, RETRO PUPPET MASTER and Special Bonus DVD: FULL MOON 45 TITLE TRAILER REEL.

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Codename Kids Next Door - Sooper Hugest Missions File One (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm 28 and I love this cartoon. It's corny and at times it's pretty stupid but the pure ridiculousness of it is what makes it so entertaining. I love the concept of 2x4 technology and having guns that shoot condiments, ice cream, gum balls etc... is classic! Not to mention the robots and other vehicles that are made of everyday things like carousels, cars, school lockers, and even a chimney! Codname KND puts a great spin on the action cartoons of the twenty first century. No blood, no guts - just plain fun and gags that can be appreciated by children of all ages. Also, the constant spoofs on classic movies; Robin Hood, Star Wars, Terminator, etc... is entertaining to adults who watch with their children (or by themselves!) I'm a lifelong lover of cartoons and although I really didn't like Codename KND the first few times I watched it I eventually came to love it and now watch it every chance I get. I've also converted a few of my adult cartoon loving friends into fans.
As for the animation style - it's true that the characters are drawn pretty amusingly. They look like pencils with apples stuck on them for heads, hands and feet but instead of complaining about the style take it for what it is. The entire cartoon is a spoof and the way it's drawn emphasizes that.
A comment on the accents of the characters; While reading through other reviews I noticed many complaints on how fake the British accent of Numbah One sounds. As stated in the previous paragraph - this is a spoof and how much more ridiculous would Numbah One sound if he had been voiced by someone with a real British accent? Could you seriously imagine Hugh Laurie reading the part? I believe that a real British accent would get even more complaints and besides, if you actually watched the cartoon you'd realize that neither of Numbah One's parents have an accent which would clue you in - he's just a kid trying to be cool as so many kids do. I've never heard a convincing accent come out of a child's mouth without extensive training. And to bash on Numbah Four's accent, calling it a bad British accent, is further proof that you don't watch the show. Numbah Four is Australian.
The characters all have distinct personalities and their individuality is part of what makes them so fun. Watching this cartoon takes me back to my own childhood, back when cartoons were only on Saturday morning and for an hour or two after school. Back before Nintendo and Xbox... When our imagination was all we had and we used it to the point of frying our brains. Today's youth can't always appreciate a cartoon like Codename KND because they can't necessarily relate. If you don't like it that's okay and feel free to trash it all you want, that's your right and I recognize your right. We all have different opinions and I love that amazon gives us the ability to share our opinions. Don't use these review spaces to put down the other reviewers though - that is immature and unnecessary. Who cares if someone misspells a word? I'm sure that I've misspelled quite a few words in my own review! Also, if someone writes a review that you don't agree with don't trash the person, just write your own review and leave it alone. Allow the consumer to make the choice don't try to sway them to your way of thinking. The purpose of these reviews is to share your opinion of the item in question with the intent of informing people of what it is they're considering purchasing.
I love Codename KND and I reccomend this cartoon to cartoon lovers everywhere!

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Five extraordinary 10-year-olds, dedicated to freeing all children from the tyrannical rule of adults, have formed a covert team called the Kids Next Door (KND). To mask their identities, they have taken numbers instead of names, led by Numbuh One from the fortress of their treehouse! DVD Features:FeaturetteOther:Exclusive KND Game Boy advance cheats. Also, Cartoon Network bonus toon: Foster's Home for Imaginary FriendsTheatrical Trailer

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Beast Wars Transformers - The Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)After haphazzardly releasing the first 12 episodes on two individual volumes, Rhino has decided to go with their G1 Transformers formula by releasing the complete first season of Beast Wars in a nice box set. Quite frankly, I'm delighted. Hopefully they'll include some new special features in this set, with some commentaries perhaps (but I doubt that one). A little "making of" or more 3D animation tests would be cool.
But anyway, Beast Wars came on the scene in 1996 as a totally new 3D-animated Transformers show. Despite mis-givings and apprehensions of die-hard G1 Transformers fans, Beast Wars picked up a cult following of former fans and new alike. One thing to attract this old school Trans-fan was the upscaled fight scenes. The brutality of the fight scenes really gave me a sense that Mainframe Entertainment made this series for aging G1 fans. Gone were the days where robots would shoot at one another and no damage would occur. In Beast Wars robots would literally be blown apart. Fortunately the writers of the show got around this by including a automated repair unit in each of the factions' ship bases.
But where Beast Wars shined was the various homages paid back to the G1 story and time line. This series was sort of a sequal or in essence a prequel to G1 due to that whacky time travel paradox. (Season 2 spoiler - The Maximals find the original Autobot Ark in prehistoric Earth). Another homage to G1 was the 2nd season appearance of Ravage. And then of course numerous dialogue references to G1.
The CGI animation was good for its day, (being made in 1996), and surprisingly looks excellent on DVD. Bright colors with shimmering metallic appearance. Shame the environment was a bit bland. But nonetheless, the series had excellent animation over its 3 season run.
The thing that set Beast Wars apart from its predecessor G1, was the accuracy (or similated accuracy) in robot transformations. Meaning that because this was a 3D animated series, the robot modes had to match the beast modes in size and form. The transformations had to appear as if they were the actual toys being transformed by a child.
After Season 1 is released, I'm betting Rhino will release the shorter second and third seasons (13 episodes each) as one set. And then both 13 episode seasons of Beast Machines in another set.

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Beyond Belief: Season One Review

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(More customer reviews)Whoever decided to cancel this show from it's original run should have his or her butt kicked. I have been begging and pleading on www.TVShowsOnDVD.com for 4 years for this to be released as season sets on DVD, and it finally happened!
This beats the heck out of ALL reality TV. If you have never watched this show, you owe it to yourself to purchase this DVD set. Each episode presents to the viewer 4 seperate strange and unusual paranormal stories, and it is up to you to guess which one(s) are true stories, and which ones are fakes made up by the show's producers!
The thing is, you will be surprised which stories actually happened somewhere in the United States!! VERY spooky and VERY entertaining!!

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BEYOND BELIEF SEASON ONE - DVD Movie

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Kings - The Complete Series (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)This show does have its faults. The biggest one is how modern speech is intermingled with Shakespearean dialogue... it gives the show gravitas, but it cuts back on the realism. There are some unlikely events, but since this is a retelling of a Bible story in a modern setting, I don't mind it, and as a sci-fi enthusiast I even like it. The show does take things very seriously, with two unlikely security guards providing comic relief that quite frankly, isn't very funny. There is a lot about the world that we don't know, and there is little exposition, which will drive alternate universe fans up a wall. Additionally, if you jump into the series mid-stream, it may take you a few minutes of viewing to become acclimated.
If you can get past those faults, you'll find some of the best there is on TV right now, especially network TV. Sub plots that seem to have nothing to do with one another cleverly weave together throughout the hour to come to surprising twists at the end. Though the characters are mostly archetypes, they are very interesting, and you want to know more about them-- especially Silas and how he became king. The way religion is portrayed and how it affects things is very reminiscent of the new Battlestar Galactica; the multi-ethnic cast reminiscent of Star Trek, politics will have you waxing nostalgic for The West Wing, and best of all, it's not another cop, lawyer or doctor show. It's not insipid reality TV or a recycled sitcom. This is truly original, intelligent programming.
Unfortunately, due to the worst viral marketing campaign I have ever seen, I don't think we'll get another season, so get this show and watch it on your own. NBC did very little to promote this series, but is going out of its way to push another cheap cop drama on us. The show, the story, the actors, and we, the viewers, deserve better. If we're lucky, maybe a cable channel will pick it up and we'll get some more brilliance. NBC should not have been given the chance to kill this critically-acclaimed show. It deserves to be on HBO-- and in your DVD collection.

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Witness the riveting rule of a modern-day monarchy in Kings: The Complete Series, the compelling, thought-provoking drama starring Golden Globe® winner Ian McShane (Deadwood). King Silas Benjamin (McShane) rules the country of Gilboa with steely determination unmatched by any rival. During a tense battle with the neighboring nation of Gath, David Shepherd (Chris Egan, Eragon), an idealistic young soldier from the countryside, heroically crosses over dangerous enemy lines and rescues a critical prisoner-of-war – the King’s son. Now, the lives of David and the King will become powerfully intertwined as greed, war, romance, forbidden love and secret alliances threaten to tear apart the kingdom. Co-starring Allison Miller (17 Again), Susanna Thompson (NCIS), Sebastian Stan (Rachel Getting Married), Eamonn Walker (Oz) and Dylan Baker (Revolutionary Road), this epic David-and-Goliath tale has critics proclaiming, “Kings is a big, ambitious, imaginative fantasy…" (Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly).

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Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, I give this 3 1/2 stars. They don't have a half-star option.
This is a documentary about the rehearsal stages and first several shows of a Meat Loaf tour through Canada to promote Bat Out Of Hell 3. The case is VERY misleading, as it lets you think you are going to see a full concert and even lists songs in the setlist of the concert as if you're going to see them. YOU WILL NOT SEE A WHOLE SONG. YOU WILL SEE SNIPPETS OF SONGS. The majority of the footage is Meat dealing with the various details of tour. There's quite a bit of attention paid to the Paradise On The Dashboard light controversy: the alleged indecency of him performing the number with Aspen Miller due to her perceived age. (She was 28 at the time of filming/touring.) Maybe even too much time is devoted to this. It honestly felt like this was the theme of the entire documentary.
We also see pieces of Meat's rituals before a show, and it shows the extreme level of perfection he demands from his crew, but mostly from himself. He is hardest on himself and never seems satisfied. This isn't the usual Rock Star ego trip, he continues to push himself to be better, louder, faster, and the best. He does so at a toll on his health, and we repeatedly see him pass out after shows.
I would recommend this to hardcore Meat Loaf fans, but casual fans or someone expecting to see a full or at least partial concert could easily come away disappointed.

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Actor, performer, and multi-platinum rock icon Meat Loaf reveals surprising shades of himself - and a fertile creative mind in constant flux - in this intimate and highly entertaining theatrical feature documentary that was celebrated as an official selection of the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival. The time is early 2007, one of the most stressful in Meat Loaf's career, when he is about to launch his most ambitious tour ever: an 18 month long marathon to support Bat Out Of Hell III, the final album of the legendary Bat Out Of Hell trilogy. His exhausting, and often poignant, journey takes him from rehearsals in Burbank, California through the first leg of his tour through Canada. Along the way, an unexpected media controversy erupts over the staging of one of his songs - a controversy that raises questions about his art and its ability to mature and transcend as it traverses multiple generations - bringing into focus the drive (and demons) that have fueled his over-the-top stage persona for almost 40 years.

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Soul Eater: Part 2 (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Up till now, "Soul Eater" has been a fairly lighthearted anime with some dark spots.... but that completely changes with "Soul Eater: Part 2." The first few episodes are pretty goofy, but it doesn't take long for the story to spiral into a dark, bloody blend of horror and supernatural action, as Medusa's secret plan goes into effect -- and the entire DMWA ends up facing their worst nightmare.
Things are going as usual for the meisters and weapons -- a challenging written test (only a few students actually manage to write anything), a visit to Excalibur, and Death the Kid's mission to a ghost ship that is attacking ships in the Baltic sea. But things take a dark turn on the anniversary party for DWMA's founding: Sid's mission to infiltrate Medusa's hideout goes horribly awry, the werewolf Free seals everybody inside a single tower in the school, and Medusa puts her master plan into action...
The only ones who escape the barrier are Stein, Maka, Soul Eater, Death the Kid, Liz and Patty, Black Star and Tsubaki -- and with everyone else trapped for the next hour, it falls to them to stop Medusa and her followers. It turns out that they're planning to free the most horrifying kishin of all, a creature so monstrous that Death sealed him under Death City. Maka and her friends must fight past Medusa, Crona and Free to block them from raising the malevolent Asura -- but even if they make it in time, they may not be able to stop it.
If the first part of "Soul Eater" was mostly lighthearted with some dark spots, then "Soul Eater: Part 2" is mostly dark with some lighthearted spots -- and what's more, meister missions to collect evil souls are pushed to the wayside. Instead, the focus shifts to Medusa's invasion of the DMWA and the frantic race against time to stop Asura from rising again... with the required string of one-on-one fights.
Sure, there's a few funny moments -- the test episode is pure hilarity, especially when Death the Kid spends the allotted time trying to write his name. But the overall feeling is one of horror, with plenty of grotesque creatures (Asura is freaky before we even see him!), bloody fights, nightmarish hallucinations (the teeth! THE TEETH!), and bizarre plot twists. And all the fights are pretty good and wonderfully imaginative, especially the nerve-tearing duel between Medusa and Stein, and the unveiling of Death the Kid's twin bazookas... brilliant.
The only major flaw is that the fiery magical duel between Death and his old enemy is awesome... but too short. Even one episode of them duking it out with scarves and spiky death-curses would have been good!
Maka and Soul have some new problems to deal with -- not only is Soul still being tempted by madness, but a Soul Resonance temporarily turns Maka into a raving grinning psychopath. But you know they'll come out all right, merely by trusting in each other; additionally, Maka finally manages to reach the weirdly bendy, androgynous Crona, who turns out to be even more scarred than we thought. And there's a brief, uncomfortable scene where we see inside the twisted mind of Stein... which promises to get even more twisted after this.
Things get dark'n'nasty in "Soul Eater: Part 2," and they don't show signs of improving anytime soon. Fortunately, the handling of the fights and horrific stuff is nothing short of brilliant.

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Maka is a Meister and Soul is her Weapon. As students at the Grim Reaper’s Death Weapon Meister Academy, their study habits couldn’t be more different. But in battle against the supernatural forces of evil, they’re a freakin’ lethal team.
That’s when Soul transforms – literally – into a razor-sharp scythe, and every defeated wicked soul he sucks down makes him more deadly. That’s when Maka unleashes the merciless slayer within, wielding her partner and dropping monsters. Seriously. Monsters. Like the witches, werewolves, and zombies that lurk in the shadows and feed on the souls of the innocent. Every freakish ghoul Maka and Soul take out strengthens their bond, and fighting alongside their fellow Meister/Weapon classmates, Maka and Soul are the world’s last line of defense against evil.

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Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)So, there I was, searching the net for a new b ( or maybe z...) movie to give me entertainment for and hour and half. Then, by some stroke of luck, I found the sequel to last years unofficial movie of the year MEGA SHARK VS GIANT OCTOPUS. What better creaturer c to do battle with the mega shark next than a crocosaurus? And there we have it: MEGA SHARK VS CROCOSAURUS. I imediatly went onto amazon.com to pre-order my copy. And today was the day that it arrived!
As previously stated, our mega shark has apparently survived the fight with the giant octopus. We get a new team of people- including erkel- that plan on killing both the surviving mega shark and the new crocosaurus. Caos ensuses as each of there plans fails causing more and more destruction. So what's on the menu for our two creatures? Well, our mega shark still has a taste for battle ships and submarines, but not so much for planes or bridges anymore. Our crocosaurus on the other hand has a craving for African workers, killer whales, and variouse other morsels. So let's get the breakdown on msvc:
THE GOOD:
- one of my only problems with msvgo was the fact that we never got to see much of our mega shark and giant octopus. They also didn't look terribly realistic, but I didn't find that to be a problem. This time around, the effects are improved ( although still terrible, this adds to the entertainment!) and we get a lot more shots of our creatures and a lot more action.
- another improvement from msvgo is the actual fight scenes. We get two main fights between our Mega shark and our crocosaurus. They also don't consist of the same shot repeated over and over like msvgo!
- the production values also look pretty good for an asylum film, which are usually restricted to one interior of a ship being used for multiple ships and submarines. ( yes I'm looking at you msvgo!)
- the acting is pretty good for this type of movie, and so is the dialogue- lol moments with the dialogue are kept to a minimum. However that's both a good and a bad thing ( see the bad).
THE BAD:
- the main thing that kept MEGA SHARK VS CROCOSAURUS from getting a five like msvgo was the lack of fun. There was a sense of fun in msvgo that kept you entertained. You could tell the cast was having fun and not taking the movie seriously, were as the cast in this one have. It's just a bit serious sometimes, and you just want something really silly to break the seriousness.
-I missed the over-the-top dialogue from msvgo, this is what made it so hilarious! However, the dialogue in this one isntnso dramatic and over done ( which most people would consider good lol, but I found it to be a lot less funny to watch)
- also, there are some scenes in the movie were everyone was just talking, and nothing much was going on.
- the last thing I can remember that annoyed me was that it didn't try to top the plane-eating scene from msvgo! Compared to the destruction of the creatures in the first movies, these ones seem a bit people friendly. ( keep in mind that most of these complaints are miner and I dint mean to be nit- picking !)
Overall, if you enjoyed mega shark vs giant octopus then you will like this! It keeps you entertained most of the time, especially the last half an hour. Have fun viewing MEGA SHARK VS CROCOSAURUS, and I hope the asylum makes more mega- giant- saurus movies in the future!!!

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Studio: Asylum Home EntertainmentRelease Date: 12/21/2010Run time: 90 minutesRating: Nr

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The Venture Bros: Season 4, Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the worst Venture Bros. DVD product yet to be released. This has nothing to do with the quality of the episodes, which are among the best in the series, nor the quantity. It has everything to do with the poor presentation that falls far short of the excellence found in the previous Venture Bros. DVD sets.
The cover to the actual DVD case is somewhat amusing, but we get this poor joke at the cost of doing without the amazing artwork that graced the previous seasons' DVD cases. This is an unfortunate loss, but it's only worsened by the fact that the entire packaging feels very cheap in comparison to previous efforts.
Opening the DVD case, all you get is the DVD, with a decent cover image, and a slip of paper with an image from one of the props in an episode on it. Don't bother turning the paper over, since it's only a coupon for free shipping from the adult swim store on the other side. If this is the kind of product that adult swim now churns out, I don't think I'll be cashing in my coupon anytime soon.
They could have easily done something with the inside cover, but it remains the same dull black as the plastic case. It's also one of those eco-friendly DVD cases that have the bits of plastic removed from behind the DVD, and this makes the case feel even more flimsy and cheap in comparison to others.
The provided commentaries are also ridiculous. Apparently Jackson and Doc have yet to figure out how to do a proper commentary. The commentaries are mixed with terrible technical issues, roaring cars in the background, and flat out nonsense throughout. Occasionally you will hear something interesting or worthwhile, but these might have been things you already knew or noticed yourself.
The extras are barely there. I appreciate the inclusion of the "Lost" open, since it was quite good and apparently didn't make its way into the proper episode, however the comic-con trailer and the deleted scenes are definitely not worth the time.
The video quality was average for a DVD, but I'm still crossing my fingers for a Bluray release that looks as great as the season 3 Bluray, includes the entirety of season 4, and fixes all of the above.
It's worth owning for the episodes alone, however if you're like me and believe a comedy show like the Venture Bros. is funnier if it remains censored, you may wish to skip this DVD entirely and simply buy the censored episodes off iTunes or something. Jackson and Doc both made the comment in a previous DVD's commentary that they believed uncensoring the Venture Bros. was equivalent to removing jokes from their creation, in effect making it less funny. Why on Earth the seasons have been receiving uncensored releases since Season 3 is beyond me. Some of the greatest scenes of season 3 were totally ruined because of it (scenes from The Doctor is Sin, and The Buddy System), but at the very least season 4 isn't totally uncensored. Only the language track has been uncensored. You will still see the occasional censor bar or blurring in some of the episodes.
In the end, I was disappointed with this release. I am optimistic that they will right their wrongs with a future Bluray set, but this has yet to be confirmed.

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Questions are answered and truths are revealed. Learn how Henchman 21 copes with life without 24. See what happens when Brock and the Venture family are forced to part ways. Discover the final fate of H.E.L.P.eR. And all the while, the balance of the free world hangs in the hands of Dean Venture, who must kill Hitler.

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Mike Birbiglia: What I Should Have Said Was Nothing - Tales From My Secret Public Journal Review

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(More customer reviews)Mike Birbiglia is a pure talent and this DVD shows off his comedic skills. His humor is not offensive and in your face, but talks about everyday things and stuff that he loves like pizza. He humor is self depreciating, but not in a "woe is me" kind of way, but in a way that anyone can relate to. If he ever came to Minneapolis, which he needs to already, I would not mind taking my kid to his show. My kid wouldn't understand all of the jokes, but Birbigs is clean enough that I wouldn't have to cover his ears throughout.

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Mike says, "A few years ago my therapist suggested I keep a journal of all the crazy things that were going on in my life, so that I could keep things in perspective. Around the same time audiences were demanding more material, and I realized that other people might enjoy these stories-so I started sending them out to my mailing list. Now, my Secret Public Journal has become a Comedy Central special and DVD for all the world to see. Not sure this is what my therapist had in mind." BONUS FEATURESBonus Concert Footage "Medium Man On Campus" Documentary

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Speed Racer (Widescreen Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I can understand why some people might dislike this movie (just look at its box-office) but the one undeniable fact is that it perfectly captures the spirit of the TV show which was never really associated with profound human feelings. It's amazing how everyone involved in it simply decided to give it their all. Just look at the conviction with which Susan Sarandon and John Goodman recited lines that clearly feel out of a cartoon. Usually I hate movies with quick cuts and gratuitous CG effects and SPEED RACER is 135 minutes of quick cuts and CG so I guess nostalgia goes a long way. I was so glad they included the sound effect of the Mach 5 jumping over and over again. My only real complaint about the movie is that there was a little bit too much of the chimp for my taste.
I can't blame anyone for complaining on leaving the theater with a headache. The world outside the theater I saw SPEED RACER in looked so slow once the movie ended, this is one exhausting film but certainly worth it.

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Start your engines and fasten your seatbelts for the high-octane adventure Speed Racer, combining heartfelt family humor and groundbreaking visual effects. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel of his thunderous Mach 5. With support from Pops and Mom Racer (John Goodman and Susan Sarandon), girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci), younger brother Spritle (Paulie Litt) and the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox), Speed takes on fierce competitors to save his family’s business and protect the sport he loves. When Speed steps onto the track, it’s not just a race. It’s an adrenaline-fueled, high-speed charge to the finish. Go, Speed Racer, go!!

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The Invisible Man: Season One Review

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(More customer reviews)After seeing so many poor or banal sci-fi series released on DVD, I was upset that the Sci-Fi Channel's THE INVISIBLE MAN series was not amongst them (at least not in the US anyway... it's been available for years on Region 2 DVD's), but now, at long last, it's coming! This is by far the best show that the Sci-Fi Channel has ever created (aside from the great BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) and it has been deserving of reruns at the VERY least, but other less interesting and less entertaining shows have been clogging up Sci-Fi's airwaves (STARGATE series, I'm looking at you!).
But onto the show itself. Darien Fawkes (the underappreciated Vincent Ventresca) is a thief who is finally caught and put in prison. He's looking at a life sentence, but his brother comes to his "rescue" of sorts when he offers him a deal: Testing an experimental gland implant in the brain that will release a chemical nicknamed "Quicksilver" that coats the skin for a brief period of time that bends light around the subject, allowing them to become invisible to the naked eye. Darien accepts the deal, but we know what road good intentions lead to. Fawkes' brother is double-crossed and killed by his assistant Arnaud DeFehrn (the wonderfully sleazy Joel Bissonette), and Fawkes is stuck with the experimental gland before it's perfected. The gland has a potentially fatal flaw which is that if used for too long of a period of time, the user (in this case, Fawkes) will experience what is called "Quicksilver Madness" which he experiences psychotic and sociopathic tendencies. Fawkes is recruited by "The Agency", a covert ops organization that answers only to The President, run by a perenially frustrated bean-counter usually referred to as "The Official" or "The Fat Man" (the hilarious Eddie Jones) and his yes-man Eberts (the also-hilarious Michael McCafferty). Fawkes' condition is watched over by the lovely Claire "The Keeper" Keeply (beautiful and dry-witted Shannon Kenny), who must regularly give him injections of a counter-agent that wards off the Quicksilver Madness, and is determined to find a way to remove the gland from Darien without the procedure killing him.
The show also gives us a brilliant buddy cop story with Fawkes partnered with Agent Bobby Hobbes (the wonderful and easily recognizable Paul Ben-Victor), a self-professed ladies man and martial arts master, who also may be suffering from schizophrenia that may be fueling these delusions of grandeur (or are they delusions?). The chemistry that is developed between Fawkes and Hobbes is just amazing, and it becomes one of the high points of the show.
One of the other high points is the amazing special effects. When Fawkes goes invisible (and vice versa), the transition is totally seamless. It was this level of achievement that unfortunately brought this show to an all-too premature end because it was just too expensive to keep up that level.
Overall, this is a really great and really fun show that just ended way too soon but it finally is back to watch on this DVD series!

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The sensational sci-fi series that has to be seen to be believed, The Invisible Man is now available on DVD for the first time ever! Join con man-turned-covert-op-specialist Darien Fawkes (Vincent Ventresca) in 23 gripping Season One episodes, including the two-hour TV-length pilot, as he undergoes a top-secret invisibility experiment by the "Agency." As he takes on spy networks, assassins and lethal weapons cases, Darien must come to terms with the "Quicksilver madness" and physical outbursts that are unexpected side effects of his special abilities. Co-starring Paul Ben-Victor (Entourage) and Shannon Kenny (7th Heaven), this suspenseful action series has intrigue, humor and futuristic weaponry that you'll want to "see" again and again!

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30 Rock: Season One (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bizarrely, NBC debuted two new series in 2006-2007 that were behind-the-scenes looks at fictional TV shows that bore astonishing resemblences to SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Aaron Sorkin's STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, the more highly touted of the two, did set its fictional SNL on the West Coast, but never really caught on with critics or with many fans and was eventually cancelled. On the other hand, 30 ROCK was an immediate hit with critics and gradually built more and more of a fan base. Though the ratings were never especially strong, NBC has perhaps the best track record of any current network for sticking with quality shows and attempting to nurture a fan base (on any other network both 30 ROCK and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS would have been cancelled well before the end of the season). Hopefully more fans will discover this superb show and its long term future will be assured.
While the Sorkin series had very tenuous SNL credentials, 30 ROCK's are iron clad. It was created and produced by SNL veteran Tina Fey, who along with Gilda Radner is possibly the most gifted female performer the show has produced. Lorne Michaels serves as a producer, Tracy Morgan is one of the major stars on the show, and a long line of SNL performers appear as guest stars on the show. Rachel Dratch has appeared in so many episodes (albeit as a number of different characters, from Liz Taylor to a Cat Wrangler) that she could almost be considered a regular. It wouldn't be quite correct to call this a SNL spin off, but it comes as close as possible to being that without actually being one.
The show started off as very funny from the very beginning, but it evidenced one of the marks of a good show: it got better and better as it went along. While the writing and the jokes are sharp from the very beginning, the use of the characters got really good in the second half. One of the marks of a good show is that the second half of the debut season is better than the first half. And this one certainly did.
The ensemble cast is absolutely first rate, but three people really stand out. Tina Fey is not only the driving force behind the show, she is delightful as Liz Lemon, the head writer for THE GIRLIE SHOW, the fictional series they all work on. Alec Baldwin is shockingly good as Jack Donaghy, the NBC executive who oversees. He will be certain to get an Emmy nomination, something he will definitely deserve. But for me the funniest thing on the show is Tracy Morgan as an insane (literally) movie actor who joins the show. The overall atmosphere is one of surreal chaos.
I hope the show really takes off with fans this coming season. NBC's Thursday night line up of shows is perhaps the best group of really intelligent comic series ever. Back when they promoted "Must See TV" (which I never watched), they relied mainly on sit coms filmed in front of live audiences. But the current line up features filmed comedies that are smart, funny, and a hoot to watch. And for me they are really are, in contrast to the FRIENDS era, shows that I really feel I must watch.

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Emmy Award winner Tina Fey writes, executive produces, and stars as Liz Lemon, the head writer of a live variety program in New York City. Liz's life is turned upside down when brash new network executive Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin in his Golden Globe winning role) interferes with her show, bringing the wildly unpredictable Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) into the cast. Now it's up to Liz to manage the mayhem and still try and have a life. Join in the behind-the-scenes hilarity with the complete first season (21 episodes) on DVD.

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Crank 2: High Voltage Review

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(More customer reviews)I enjoyed how unique the first Crank film was and this sequel is even more wild, but I liked it a lot less. Crank: High Voltage is a roller coaster ride that last 85 minutes and features some really gross scenes. For example, a guy getting a shotgun rammed up his rear end isn't even in the top three weird moments in this flick. There was one scene where a guy had to punish himself for letting his boss down, which I had to turn my head and look away (I can't remember the last time I did that). There is almost zero realism here, much like the original, only multiplied by a hundred. Jason Statham is the main action star in the business right now and he is pretty good at what he does. He went all out here and I'm sure he has nothing but bruises and a nice paycheck to show for it. The large supporting cast was better than average and Amy Smart was especially yummy. If you liked Crank (2006) you will probably enjoy this one well enough, but I think they should put this series to rest. Judging by the ending during the credits, I'm sure we can expect Crank 3-D: Zombie Chev in the near future.

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You can’t keep a good man down. Jason Statham is back as Chev Chelios – this time to retrieve his stolen heart (that’s right, he’s running on battery power). High-octane and truly electrifying!

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