"BLACK SWAN" on BD and DVD March 29

EXPERIENCE THE TWISTED YET INSPIRED MASTERPIECE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Capture the Electrifying Thriller That Has Audiences on the Edge of Their Seats On Blu-ray and DVD March 29


Los Angeles (February 28, 2011) – Starring Natalie Portman in her Academy Award® winning role*, BLACK SWAN is a seductive yet haunting film that will leave you breathless. Directed by innovator Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler), this Best Picture nominated film boasts a wealth of talent including Portman (Closer), in the performance of her career, as well as Mila Kunis (Date Night), Winona Ryder (Girl, Interrupted) and Vincent Cassel (Ocean’s Twelve).

In the film that Daily Variety hailed as "...wicked, sexy and ultimately devastating... fascinating," Natalie Portman’s mesmerizing transformation into the Black Swan leaves you breathless – and wanting to see it again. Become part of the haunting phenomenon and own BLACK SWAN on Blu-ray or DVD on March 29th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

BLACK SWAN follows the story of Nina (Natalie Portman), a ballerina in the New York City Ballet trying to make it to the top. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), also impresses Leroy and becomes Nina’s competition. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly with her innocence and grace, but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan with her fiery personality. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

The BLACK SWAN Blu-ray disc contains special features not included on the DVD including exciting behind-the-scenes looks at the filmmaking process and interviews with the cast and director Darren Aronofsky. With the best-available sound and picture quality, the Blu-ray format provides viewers the premier way to experience the stunning Academy Award®-nominated cinematography, memorable character performances and flawless choreography of BLACK SWAN.

BLACK SWAN Blu-ray Disc Features:
Metamorphosis: A Three-Part Series--A behind the scenes look at the filmmaking process from Darren Aronofsky’s visionary directing, to the physically-demanding acting, to the stunning special effects.
Behind the Curtain--An inside look at the film’s costume and production design.
Ten Years in the Making--Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky discuss their creative journey, from “preparing for the role” to “dancing with the camera.”
Cast Profiles – Roles of a Lifetime--Presented by Fox Movie Channel, the stars reflect on the their challenging and rewarding characters

BLACK SWAN DVD Features:
Metamorphosis: A Three-Part Series--A behind the scenes look at the filmmaking process from Darren Aronofsky’s visionary directing, to the physically-demanding acting, to the stunning special effects

*Best Actress in a Lead Role, Natalie Portman

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

Black Swan Blu-Ray: (Catalog # 2271513 U.S. / # 2271514 Canada)
Street Date: March 29, 2011
Pre-book Date: March 2, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD-MA
 French 5.1 Dolby Digital
 Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English and Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 233 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Black Swan DVD: (Catalog # 2271506 U.S. / # 2271507 Canada)
Street Date: March 29, 2011
Pre-book Date: March 2, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
 French 2.0 Surround Dolby Digital
 Spanish 2.0 Surround Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English and Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 179 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Buy it at Amazon.com:
Blu-Ray
DVD

NEW TRICKS: SEASON THREE -- DVD review by porfle

After watching only one or two episodes of Acorn Media's NEW TRICKS: SEASON THREE, it's easy to see why this is such a popular show in England.  This delightfully offbeat cop series, with its vivid characters and perfect blend of comedy and drama, is a total hoot.

With her career not exactly on the fast track, Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman) has been placed in charge of a cold case unit that operates out of what looks like a basement somewhere.  Her team consists of three retired detectives whose own careers went a bit off the rails for one reason or another, and they're eager to make a comeback.  As individuals they're somewhat eccentric, and as a group they tend to clash often, but their combined skills are formidable.

The oldest, ex-Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Halford (James Bolam), left the force after his wife, since deceased, was struck down by a hit-and-run driver.  A solid, reliable cop, Jack is considered a bit odd since he's often seen talking to his dead wife next to the shrine he's built for her in their backyard. 

Ex-Detective Chief Inspector Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman, who sings the show's opening theme, "It's Alright") is a thrice-divorced father of four whose devil-may-care attitude hides a lot of personal baggage.  A bit of a chauvinist, he often trades jabs with Sandra and offers his weary observations on female behavior in general.  He must be a pretty good guy, though, since his three ex-wives and four daughters still like him.
 


The team's brainiac tech whiz, ex-Detective Inspector Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong, THE MUMMY RETURNS), is a recovering alcoholic and a certifiable basket case if he goes off his meds.  The scenes with him and his long-suffering wife Esther (Susan Jameson), who never knows what to expect, are infused with warmth and humor.

Whenever a cold case gets dropped into their laps, the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS) lurches into action amidst the usual horseplay and bickering, with a harried Sandra often forced to act almost as a schoolmarm to keep their undisciplined and unconventional behavior in check.  While frequently hilarious--as when obsessive and downright peculiar Brian is off on some strange tangent, or Sandra's attempts at a social life go down in flames--the humor is well-integrated and does nothing to lessen the gravity of the cases themselves.  In these sharply-written stories, the professional and personal lives of the team are so deftly intertwined that the plots are equally driven by both.

The chemistry between the leads is considerable--by season three these talented actors are well-settled into their colorful roles and play them with conviction.  Their characters are flawed, overly emotional, and can actually be dead wrong at times.  In the first episode of the set, "Lady's Pleasure", even team-leader Sandra almost ruins an investigation with her personal bias against the main suspect, a man accused of killing his wife by sabatoging her car.  Viewers are invited to jump to the wrong conclusions right along with the team, making it all the more interesting when they finally manage to sort out the truth.



In "Old Dogs", a series of canine murders in which the organs are surgically removed baffles the UCOS while the killer lurks right under their noses.  "Diamond Geezers" is one of many instances of their past experiences coming back to haunt them, as a former adversary of Jack's returns wielding his trademark axe.  "Wicca Work", an investigation into the ritual killing of a male witch, introduces Gerry and Brian to a strange female mystic whose herbal tea supercharges their flagging libidos. 

The season finale, "Congratulations", showcases each character in grand style--Sandra is torn by the offer of a promotion that would break up the squad, Gerry meets a woman who claims to be his illegitimate daughter (played by his real-life daughter, Hannah Waterman), Brian's rekindled obsession with war-gaming may also bring on a return to alcoholism, and Jack, finally discovering who is behind the death of his wife, strikes out in homicidal rage.  This final revelation is one of the most powerful moments of the season and Bolam plays it superbly.



The 3-disc, 8-episode set from Acorn Media is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound and English subtitles.  Extras include a 20-minute featurette with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, plus cast filmographies. 

It's exciting to see this over-the-hill bunch take on cold cases and prove theirs to be a crack investigative team despite its disparate elements.  But as good as the stories are, they're mainly an excuse to give these wonderful characters something to do so we'll have the pleasure of watching them interact.  Once you've gotten to know them, NEW TRICKS: SEASON THREE is almost addictively fun.



Buy it at Amazon.com

Gritty Psychological-Thriller "BOY WONDER" Screening at Chicago's C2E2, March 19th

Stars of Award-Winning Film to Make Appearance

"A dangerous, new superhero … Boy Wonder marks the debut feature film for Morrissey, but the result looks like he's done it before … One of the film's biggest strengths is its casting ..."
- TheHuffingtonPost

"… the indie superhero movie that could literally punch the throat out of the big boys this year … the performances are generally top-notch … a visceral ride full of white-knuckled suspense and gut-wrenching provocation … a great indie sleeper hit that will leave you hugging your own sanity a little tighter at night."
- 303 Magazine

"Some are good, some are great but few have the raw energy of Michael Morrissey's fantastic directorial debut Boy Wonder … a solid mystery, using a well-developed script and excellent editing as building blocks to the final reveal … a conclusion that is both satisfying and unexpected … I can't wait to see what Morrissey has up his sleeve for a follow-up."
- QuietEarth.us

"The perpetration of the final [scene] in the film was ingenious …"
- Film-Book.com

CHICAGO - Feb. 24, 2011 - For Immediate Release - The urban psychological-thriller Boy Wonder, written and directed by Michael Morrissey, will screen at the 2nd annual Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) in Chicago, March 18-20, at McCormick Place Convention Center. The popular fan event attracted nearly 30,000 attendees from across the country in its inaugural year, a number expected to increase substantially in 2011.

In sharp contrast to recent big-budget, Hollywood spandex-fests (even James Bond and Indiana Jones are fighting aliens), Boy Wonder stands apart as a gritty, realistic tale of loss and helplessness in a world that is far tougher than the fantastic worlds presented in the studios' superhero films.

Boy Wonder will screen:  Saturday, March 19 @ 5:30 p.m., Room #476, at the Expo
(Media can RSVP at 323-660-5800 or karen@greenleafandassociates.com)

Meet the director and stars at the screening during a Q&A and signing autographs on
the show floor:  Friday & Saturday, March 18 & 19, Booth #621



Said Morrissey, "We are very excited to be a part of C2E2 and to bring Boy Wonder to the comic book and sci-fi crowd. I've been a comic book reader for more than 30 years and I wanted to create a movie that spoke to those of us who love the dark, complicated side of comics. Boy Wonder is not about the tights and a cape … this is about what would happen if Peter Parker was real and had no super powers, just a burning anger fueled by grief.  It's about a complicated teenager who decides to take justice into his own hands, no matter what the cost-about revenge, rage, violence, love and everything in between. I made this movie for comic book fans and am excited for them to finally take a look."

Boy Wonder, which marks the feature film debut of Morrissey, has received awards and accolades at film festivals across the country, including Best Feature Film, Best Director (Morrissey) and Best Actor (Caleb Steinmeyer) at the 2010 Williamsburg International Film Festival; Best Feature Film and Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at the 2010 Sacramento Film Festival; Best Feature Film and Best Actress (Zulay Henao) at the 2010 Thrillspy International Thriller & Spy Film Festival; Best Feature Film at the 2010 Festivus Film Festival; and Best Editing (Douglas Fitch) at the 2010 Rhode Island International Film Festival. It is also an Official Selection at the upcoming 2011 Sedona International Film Festival, Feb. 20-27, and the 2011 Vail Film Festival, Mar. 31-April 3.

Beware the Hero …
In this riveting and gritty psychological-thriller, a young boy witnesses the brutal murder of his mother during a Brooklyn car-jacking … leaving him to be raised by his alcoholic father (Bill Sage, Handsome Harry, 2010 Best Picture-nominee Precious, If Lucy Fell). Now a 17-year-old loner, Sean Donovan (Caleb Steinmeyer, HBO's True Blood, ABC's Lost) is relentlessly haunted by his past and obsessed with finding his mother's killer.

Drawn into a nocturnal urban underworld, Sean's consuming rage is vented one night, defending himself from a chaotic attack by a drug dealer. Thus begins his life as a quiet, straight-A student by day and a self-appointed hero at night.

Investigating a series of vigilante murders, hot-shot new homicide detective Teresa Ames (Zulay Henao, Fighting, S. Darko, Feel the Noise) - broken by her own troubled life - takes an interest in Sean and his case. Yet the closer Teresa gets, the more suspicious she becomes. Engaged in a twisting game of cat and mouse, Sean and Teresa become allies by day … and enemies by night.

But what is a real hero? Who decides what is right or wrong? As the boundaries between justice and vengeance blur, Sean's dual life wears on his psyche and his two worlds careen dangerously close to colliding.

Like a graphic novel you can't put down, Boy Wonder challenges morality, distorting perceptions of what is right and what is justified, as it races to its shocking conclusion.

Also starring James Russo (Public Enemies, Extremities) and Tracy Middendorf (HBO's Boardwalk Empire).

Tickets for C2E2 may be purchased at www.C2E2.com

TWILIGHT ZONE SEASON 4 Blu-ray coming May 17th from Image Entertainment

It’s time to enter the fifth dimension once again with The Twilight Zone: Season 4 on Blu-ray™ May 17th, 2011. All 18 episodes from the influential sci-fi/fantasy series’ fourth season are here, remastered and presented in pristine 1080p high-definition and uncompressed PCM audio. In addition, the 5-disc set includes hours of amazing bonus features, specially created for this Blu-ray™ release, as well as bonus features from the Definitive Collection DVD release. SRP is $99.98, and pre-book is April 19th.

This season of Rod Serling’s classic series was lengthened to an hour and contains many favorite episodes with great guest stars including Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall, Burgess Meredith, Anne Francis, James Whitmore, Burt Reynolds, Bill Bixby and Julie Newmar.

Season Four Episodes

In His Image, The Thirty-Fathom Grave, Valley of the Shadow, He's Alive, Mute, Death Ship, Jess-Belle, Miniature, Printer's Devil, No Time Like the Past, The Parallel, I Dream of Genie, The New Exhibit, Of Late I Think of Cliffordville, The Incredible World of Horace Ford, On Thursday We Leave for Home, Passage on the Lady Anne, The Bard.

EXCLUSIVE BLU-RAY FEATURES

-13 New Audio Commentaries, featuring The Twilight Zone Companion author Marc Scott Zicree, author/film historian Gary Gerani (Fantastic Television), Twilight Zone writer Earl Hamner, writer William F. Nolan (Logan’s Run), author Bill Warren (Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties), writer/producer Jeff Vlaming (NCIS, Fringe, Battlestar Galactica),writer/producer Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Judging Amy, Saving Grace), authors/historians Scott Skelton and Jim Benson (Night Gallery: An After Hours Tour), and writer/producer Jaime Paglia (Eureka).
-Vintage Audio Interview with director of photography George T. Clemens

ALSO INCLUDES

-Audio Commentaries by Marc Scott Zicree for Death Ship and William Windom for Miniature
Vintage Audio Recollections with Herbert Hirschman, Ross Martin, Burgess Meredith, Pat Hingle, Earl Hamner, Buzz Kulik and Anne Francis Video Interviews with Morgan Brittany, Anne Francis, Paul Comi and John Furia, Jr.7 Radio Dramas featuring Blair Underwood, Jason Alexander, Lou Diamond Phillips, H. M. Wynant, Mike Starr, Barry Bostwick and John Ratzenberger
-Isolated Scores for all 18 episodes featuring Fred Steiner, Van Cleave, Rene Garriguenc and others
-Rod Serling Promos for “Next Week’s” Show
-Rod Serling Blooper from He’s Alive
-Saturday Night Live Clip
-The Famous Writers School Promo with Rod Serling
-Genesee Beer Spot
-Twilight Zone Season 4 Billboards


The Twilight Zone Season 4 Blu-ray
Genre:              Sci-Fi. Television, 60s
Rating:              Not Rated
Languages:       English 
Format:            Black and white full-frame (1:33.1)
Audio:              PCM Mono
Subtitles:           English
Year:                1963
SRP:                $99.98
Street Date:      May 17, 2011
Pre-Book:        April 19, 2011
Length:             935 minutes
UPC:                014381642551
Cat#:                ID6425CUBD

Buy it at Amazon.com

MIDSOMER MURDERS: SET 17 -- DVD review by porfle

If you've ever joined one of those detective book clubs, you're probably familiar with the comforting feeling one gets from being in the company of a familiar, well-liked character, usually brilliant but a bit eccentric, as he or she solves baffling but rather generic murder mysteries at a leisurely pace.  Watching an episode of the long-running British TV series "Midsomer Murders", which debuted in 1997, is like cracking open one of those books and settling in for a good read. 

Acorn Media's four-disc DVD collection MIDSOMER MURDERS: SET 17 introduces the uninitiated such as myself to Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles), a middle-aged senior member of the local constabulary trying to keep a lid on homicide in pastoral Midsomer County.  (Like Cabot Cove in TV's "Murder She Wrote", the place seems to have an appalling murder rate.)  A former member of MI6, Barnaby has a sharp eye and a keen mind, while his no-nonsense approach to detective work is tempered by a friendly, optimistic demeanor and flashes of dry wit.  Soft-spoken and polite, he can't abide someone lying to him and is always attentive for some telling clue that will make everything fall into place.

Barnaby's third partner in the series, Detective Sergeant Ben Jones (Jason Hughes), is young and inexperienced but, unlike a lot of sidekicks, isn't a total buffoon.  There's a nice mentor-pupil relationship between the two and we can imagine Jones evolving into an ace detective someday with Barnaby as a role model.  Still, he's just enough of a bumbler to provide occasional comic relief.  On the homefront, Barnaby's wife Joyce (Jane Wymark) needles him to take part in social and leisure activities while he'd rather just kick back and watch telly on his days off.  Since they live in such a small community, her own activities often tie in with his investigations in various ways.



The four feature-length stories in this set begin with "The Dogleg Murders", which takes place at an upper-class golfing club.  A murder by putter near the 13th hole turns out to be the first in a series which may be somehow related to the efforts of certain people to gain membership to the exclusive club.  Other factors such as loan-sharking and domestic turmoil factor into the plot as well.  As usual, there are several suspects, all with a motive for murder.

The setting for this episode is apt, since the game pretty much typifies the quiet, low-key, and unhurried style of the show itself.  Little violence is shown and the emphasis is on character interplay and Barnaby's methodical detective work rather than action, with the small exception of Jones' pursuit of a suspect through the woods.  (A later episode even pokes some fun at the show's lack of emphasis on sensational thrills by having Jones set out on foot after a suspect driving a tractor.)

In "The Black Book", a previously unknown painting by a legendary local artist turns up and causes quite a stir, with certain parties involved in its auction meeting rather grisly fates.  This is one of the more absorbing tales in the set as suspicion falls on a number of likely suspects in turn and we never know who the next victim will be.  There's also some fun business about how to detect a forged painting by its anachronistic details.  Gavan O'Herlihy (Richie's phantom older brother on "Happy Days") appears as an American art collector. 

"Secrets and Spies" concerns Barnaby's efforts to solve a murder which takes place among a group of MI6 agents, with their security clearance rendering them off-limits to him.  Here we see Barnaby, in his quiet, unassuming way, take on the bureaucratic authority that stands between him and his job and make it clear he's not someone to mess with.  Alice Krige (GHOST STORY, STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT) gives an exciting guest performance.



Just as golf set the tone for the first story in the set, "Secrets and Spies" begins with a long cricket match, with a reluctant Barnaby having been drafted as an umpire.  The funny thing is, he starts to enjoy the feeling of power this gives him after awhile.  This is a good opportunity for Nettles to show the subtle humor in Barnaby's character, which he always plays with a twinkle in his eye.  Later, when some of the victims display wounds that appear to have been caused by a vicious mythical beast, Barnaby's dogged realism immediately discounts any "Hound of the Baskervilles" notions and focuses on less fanciful possibilities.

The final tale, "The Glitch", revolves around a biking club's outings in the English countryside and the rancor between them and the souped-up sports cars that force them off the road.  When one of the bike riders is run down, Barnaby suspects that it may have something to do with a dispute between a software designer who has discovered a glitch in his own creation, and the businessman who stands to lose millions if the program isn't marketed.  Again, there's plenty of mystery and smalltown intrigue here, along with Barnaby's one big action scene--he gets to hop behind the wheel of a muscle car and zoom to the rescue of the killer's final victim.  Still, with our hero struggling to keep the powerful machine on the road and honking at bike riders toodling along in front of him, it's not exactly a "Starsky and Hutch" moment.

The main appeal of "Midsomer Murders" isn't the mysteries themselves, but the pleasant, autumnal atmosphere and amusing character bits along the way.  (I'll admit, I have trouble just keeping all the suspects' names straight.)  In the supplemental material, Nettles points out the "extraordinarily silly murders" which give even the darkest plots a lighthearted undercurrent.  Another quote reveals his view of why the show has lasted so long:  "I sometimes wonder if the series is an odd reflection of English society.  We're so ill at ease with ourselves that we'd love to kill each other, and this provides a kind of safety valve." 

The 4-disc DVD set from Acorn Media is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital stereo and English subtitles.  Each disc contains one separate episode (approx. 100 minutes each) and comes in its own slimline case.  Also included on each disc are text-based production notes, interviews, and trivia. 

Needless to say, if you're the impatient type who craves constant thrills, MIDSOMER MURDERS: SET 17 will bore you to tears.  I don't know from cricket, but think of it like baseball--even though it's slow-moving and hardly anything exciting happens, there's just something fun about watching the players make their way around the bases.  Barnaby's methodical murder investigations have the same appeal, and when he gets to home plate at the end, it feels good.


Buy it at Amazon.com

SINEATERS With Tim O'Hearn, Melantha Blackthorne, and Debbie Rochon Starts Shooting In March

SINEATERS is the story of a lone drifter (Tim O'Hearn) who has come to the end of a violent and bloody journey. He has the power to consume the sins of evil-doers, and the power to heal with his hands, part faith healer and part gunslinger. He loses the spiritual struggle with the Grim, a manifestation of all the evil he has removed from the world, and is turned against his sineater comrades by the cult known as the Vessels of Wrath.

Working with a twisted preacher, Brother Aaron, and a darkly alluring woman who seems to guide the preacher's every decision, the Sineater hunts down his friends one by one, as the battle for his soul rages on.




Multi-talented actress and filmmaker Melantha Blackthorne (SINNERS AND SAINTS, COUNTESS BATHORIA'S GRAVEYARD PICTURE SHOW) tells us more: "It's my second film with director Sean Michael Argo, the first being 'Fable: Teeth of Beasts', and we are shooting in Arkansas starting Feb.28th. Debbie Rochon will be playing a badass sineater named 'Carpenter' and I'll be playing the mother of all evil, 'The Grim Lady.'

"She discovered the existence of the Grim, and has become attuned to them, in many ways a servant of them, and is very in touch with her own inner darkness. A dark crusader as it were."

Bekah Kelso, who plays "Booth", recently told her Facebook readers:  "Co-wrote and acting in the new film 'Sineaters' which starts shooting next week in Arkansas. The ever-awesome Ian Argo and I are co-producing this little baby together, with the talented Mr. Ripley, I mean Sean Michael Argo, as director...and actor, co-writer, co-conspirator, co-abomination.

"So stoked to be on board with this talented team and to be working with kick ass actors/human beings Tim O'Hearn, Debbie Rochon, Melantha Blackthorne, Ryan Loyd, Jason Bolton and his chin.

"What's that? You're hungry, little fella? Need something to eat? Well have some of my Sin. Its in season and its de-LICIOUS!"


 
CAST:
Vaughn - Tim O'Hearn
The Grim Lady - Melantha Blackthorne
Carpenter - Debbie Rochon
Brother Aaron - C. Jason Bolton
Booth - Bekah Kelso
Harris - Sean-Michael Argo
Miller - Ryan Loyd
Alexander McBryde - Ian Argo

Director - Sean-Michael Argo

DINOSAURS OF PATAGONIA Headlines Three Image Entertainment Blu-ray 3D titles in March

Image Entertainment, Inc., in their continuing association with Big Picture Digital Productions, announces the March 2011 releases of three new Imax® 3D titles in the 3D Blu-ray™ format. On March 1st, return to the Jurassic era with the Blu-ray™ 3D and DVD (2D version) release of Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia. Then, on March 29th, hieroglyphics leap off the screen in Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs and the heavens beckon in the soaring drama Ultimate G’s: Zac’s Flying Dream starring Superbad’s Michael Cera, both landing exclusively on the Blu-ray™ 3D format. SRP for the Blu-ray™ 3Ds are $24.98, and $19.98 for the DVDs.


Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia (IMAX® 3D Format)

Narrated by Donald Sutherland, this fascinating film focuses on the history, evolution and extinction of the dinosaurs. In larger-than-life fashion as only IMAX® can, you will explore a subject matter whose mystique and appeal are unquestioned.  Dinosaurs are amongst the most fascinating animals to have ever walked the Earth. We are captivated by their enormous size and intrigued by the fact that they disappeared millions of years ago. Take an unprecedented and unique journey into the world of the largest known dinosaurs and, in the process, explore some of the great paleontological discoveries of modern time. Done in close collaboration with the foremost scientists of the domain, the movie will show never seen before computer generated footage of the Giganotosaurus and the Argentinosaurus to name a few.

Buy it at Amazon.com

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (IMAX® 3D Format)

In mind-blowing IMAX® detail, unravel the enshrouded human time capsules that have become the most fascinating mystery of our time – Egypt’s mummies. Probe ancient tombs to uncover these carefully hidden phenomena, and experience the dramatic adventure of their excavations. Follow top scientists as they embark on a modern-day forensic investigation of the mummies, extracting clues from our past that could have an enormous impact on medical science in our future. Narrated by the legendary Christopher Lee.

Buy it at Amazon.com

Ultimate G’s: Zac’s Flying Dream (IMAX® 3D Format)

Eleven-year-old Zac (Cera) is constantly inventing flying machines with the help of his friend Laura. As the two grow up they separate, but both become pilots. Sixteen years later, while visiting Laura at her aerial mechanics shop in Arizona, Zac is challenged to an aerobatic duel by a rival. The result is a thrilling flying sequence over the Grand Canyon. Filmed in 3D, Ultimate G'S: Zac’s Flying Machine puts you in the front seat of an Extra 300 aerobatic monoplane.

Buy it at Amazon.com

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia (IMAX) Blu-ray™ 3D
Genre:                         Special Interest, Dinosaurs, Documentary, Family, IMAX, Prehistoric Times
Rating:                        Not Rated
Languages:                  English, French
Format:                        Enhanced for 16x9 TVs
Audio:                         DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Year:                           2006
SRP :                            $24.98
Street Date:                 March 1, 2011
Length:                        40 minutes
UPC :                           014381704358
Cat#:                           ID7043UGDVD

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia (IMAX)  DVD (2D)
Genre:                         Special Interest, Dinosaurs, Documentary, Family, IMAX, Prehistoric Times
Rating:                        Not Rated
Languages:                  English, French
Format:                        Enhanced for 16x9 TVs
Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1
Year:                           2006
SRP :                            $19.98
Street Date:                 March 1, 2011
Length:                        40 minutes
UPC :                           014381704129
Cat#:                           ID7041UGDVD

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (IMAX) Blu-ray™ 3D
Genre:                         Special Interest, Ancient Egypt, Documentary, Egypt, History/Events, IMAX, Mummies
Rating:                        Not Rated
Languages:                  English, French, Spanish
Format:                        Enhanced for 16x9 TVs
Audio:                         DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Year:                           2007
SRP :                            $24.98
Street Date:                 March 29, 2011
Pre-book Date:            March 1, 2011
Length:                        39 minutes
UPC :                           014381676952
Cat#:                           ID6769JGBD

Ultimate G’s: Zac’s Flying Dream (IMAX) Blu-ray™ 3D
Genre:                         Special Interest, Airplanes/Aerial Action, IMAX
Rating:                        Not Rated
Languages:                  English, French 
Format:                        Enhanced for 16x9 TVs
Audio:                         DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Year:                           2005
SRP :                            $24.98
Street Date:                 March 29, 2011
Pre-book Date:            March 1, 2011
Length:                        37 minutes
UPC :                           014381704457
Cat#:                           ID7044UGBD

BEAUTY & THE BRIEFCASE -- DVD review by porfle

First of all--if you like Hilary Duff, you'll probably like the ABC Family original movie BEAUTY & THE BRIEFCASE (2010).  End of review.  And now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about the movie behind its back just for fun.

The story is typical romantic comedy stuff but without the actual "comedy."  Hilary plays Lane, an aspiring writer whose assignment is to find her perfect man in the world of big business.  As she explains in her terminally-giddy voiceover: "I just got hired by Cosmo--the world's greatest magazine--to go undercover and date hot men in suits.  Does it get any better than this?"  I don't read Cosmo, but I'm betting that it does.

Because the interviewer thinks she's "funny"--always a plus in the highly-competitive world of investment banking--Lane blunders her way into one of those magic "George Costanza" jobs where she doesn't actually have to do or know anything.  Tom (Michael McMillian), her easygoing and gullible boss, doesn't seem to notice this because she cleverly disguises her incompetence by behaving like a mentally-challenged sixteen-year-old and ogling guys' butts all day.  For someone who's supposed to be a writer, you get the impression that Lane couldn't research a laundry list without consulting Google.
  


While this tactic may work for her, I think Hilary Duff may need to start thinking about getting a new schtick now that she has outgrown the Disney Channel.  At this rate she's going to end up playing teachers and moms on other people's teen sitcoms.  She's still bubbly and cute and all, but at her age those qualities start getting kind of obnoxious after awhile.

Anyway, Lane has a ten-point "perfect guy" checklist and nobody in the office is making the grade.  Then she meets Liam (Chris Carmack), an incredibly handsome and charming Brit who seems to be a total eleven, and falls head over heels in love.  Trouble is, he's the wrong type for the article.  So Lane has to falsify it by transposing Liam's awesome qualities into boring co-worker Seth (Matt Dallas) and hoping the Cosmo editor doesn't notice. Meanwhile, Tom accidentally stumbles onto the whole truth and is horrified that there's an undercover Cosmo writer loose in the office.  And just when he was starting to like her, too.

You now have all the information you need to write the rest of the story yourself, since it hits all the expected plot points like a pinball.  This would be okay if only it were funny instead of just busy.  Hilary Duff, who has energy to spare, gamely attempts to radiate some of it into her dull scenes and cheerlead the movie into being more entertaining, but it's a hopeless cause.  The only time I felt like laughing was when Liam first asks her out to dinner and she blurts, "I love you.  I mean, I'd love to."

Amanda Walsh is quirky-flaky as Lane's photog friend, Joanne, who sums up the movie's vibe with the line, "This is like junior high.  I feel like I'm at a sleepover."  As Tom, Michael McMillian adequately conveys a "he's all wrong for her so we know he's really Mr. Right" quality.  I wracked my brain trying to remember where I'd seen Kevin Kirkpatrick, who plays Lane's coworker John, until I looked it up--he was Bryce "The Stalker" on (the crummy) season two of "The Joe Schmo Show."
 


Her greatness Jennifer Coolidge makes one all-too-brief early appearance as an aging playgirl, and the ever-enchanting Jaime Pressly bestows her regal presence upon the film as Lane's demanding Cosmo editor.  People should be writing entire movies around these two ladies instead of just bit parts.

While BEAUTY & THE BRIEFCASE is mostly sophomoric, it's just "adult" enough at times to make me wonder how it qualifies as a "family" film.  So, you can say "bastards" and talk about kinky recreational sex (with chocolate and feathers), along with various other titillating elements, on ABC Family?  Call me old-fashioned, but how does that work?  Come to think of it, this story would probably work great on Cinemax After Dark with some softcore porn thrown in.  But then it wouldn't be a Hilary Duff movie.  Heck, I respect her for not going that route, or at least not yet.  Maybe she should stick to this kind of stuff after all.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, with English and Spanish subtitles.  The sole bonus feature is a trailer.

I'm not sure who BEAUTY & THE BRIEFCASE was intended for.  Guys (and lesbians) who like to gawk at Hilary Duff in a succession of tight tops and miniskirts, plus girls (and gay guys) who like to ogle hot guys in business suits, are all set.  People who like witty, sophisticated comedy, on the other hand, are out of luck.  As are tweeners looking for characters and situations they can relate to.  It's like "Sex and the Single Girl" meets "Clarissa Explains It All."


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THE KILLING JAR -- DVD review by porfle

Stay away from out-of-the-way diners after dark, THE KILLING JAR (2010) seems to be telling us, since you never know what kind of desperate character may come walking in.  And if he looks like Michael Madsen, you know you should've skipped the pecan pie and skedaddled five minutes ago.

This tense thriller by writer-director Mark Young (SOUTHERN GOTHIC) is one of those single-location movies that could easily be performed as a stage play, which means that the focus is on character and dialogue.  Neither are very deep here, but they get the job done pretty well, mainly due to a capable cast. 

Amber Benson (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) plays weary waitress Noreen, who dreams of getting out of Silver Lake (where the tourists don't go anymore since the lake dried up) but works in a dingy diner for ill-tempered cook Jimmy (Danny "MACHETE" Trejo).  It's almost closing time on a hot night when news comes over the radio of four grisly murders not far away, with the ill-fated family's killer still at large. 

A likely suspect enters as Noreen is chatting with a mild-mannered traveling salesman named John Dixon (Harold Perrineau, "Link" of MATRIX: RELOADED and REVOLUTIONS) on his way through town.  The stranger is foulmouthed and surly, prompting local deputy Lonnie (Lew Temple, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS) to start Barney Fife-ing him.  This proves to be a bad move, and before long "Doe" is threatening his seven terrified captives with a pump shotgun and getting crazier by the minute.



Michael Madsen does a lot of glorified cameo roles these days, so it's good to see him sink his teeth into a part that's not all that different from the kill-crazy Mr. Blonde of RESERVOIR DOGS, only without the mordant sense of humor.  His "Doe" is scary dangerous in a wary, calculated way and when he goes off and gets violent, the character is coldblooded and unpredictable. 

Young, whose direction is efficient without drawing attention to itself, throws a few curves at us to keep the story moving.  These include the arrival of Mr. Greene (Jake Busey), a shady businessman who's there to meet a Mr. Smith, whom he's never seen before.  Is it Doe, or is Mr. Smith someone else in the diner?  It might even be trucker Hank (the always-fine Kevin Gage of HEAT and LAID TO REST). 

Young builds a fair amount of suspense as Doe singles out his captives one at a time to terrorize and interrogate them, and people do get killed badly.  Still, much of the drama is psychological, so don't expect a gorefest--aside from a couple of grisly shots here and there, you'll have to use your DVD players' frame-advance to see an exploding head or two.  While none of this is unbearably nailbiting and the major plot twists are fairly predictable, the finale is nicely played and ends the movie on a satisfying note.



The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.  A trailer is the sole extra.

THE KILLING JAR probably won't sear itself into your movie memory banks or have you swooning in cinematic ecstasy, but it's a solid little suspense thriller with some good performances and an absorbing story.  Best of all, it's a chance to see an aging Mr. Blonde at the end of his rope, going mental and getting trigger-happy one last time. 


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"MURDER INVESTIGATION TEAM: Series 1" Debuts on DVD March 1, 2011

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THE BLEEDING -- DVD review by porfle

When I saw the trailer for THE BLEEDING (2009), I thought, "What a cast!  This has gotta be good!"  Then I found out it was directed by Charles Picerni (brother of late, great actor Paul Picerni), whose only other feature film credit as first-unit director is the agonizingly bad comedy THREE DAYS TO VEGAS, and thought, "Oh my god!  This is gonna hurt!"

Well, maybe comedy just isn't Picerni's forte, because this rowdy action-horror flick looks pretty slick for a low-rent production and clatters along like a cheap carnival ride.  It's derivative as hell, lifting whole chunks out of films such as BLADE II and THE ROAD WARRIOR, but it's having so much fun mixing them around and throwing them back at us that it's infectious.

There's a story in there somewhere about a master vampire named Cain (Vinnie Jones) rising to rule the underworld and destroy us all.  Natural born vampire slayer and Vin Diesel-lookalike Shawn Black (Michael Matthias) is the only guy who can kill him because he's Cain's brother and thus part of the same "royal" bloodline.  Since Cain offed the 'rents before embarking on his current rampage, Black is miffed and looking for some big-time revenge.


That's about all we need to know, as the film moves rapidly from one setpiece to the next and keeps pouring on the action and gore.  Along with it is some amusingly hardboiled narration from the unflappable Black and a series of supporting characters to help keep things interesting.  DMX shows up early as an ally to Black, while "L.A. Ink" tattooist Kat Von D fangs it up as Cain's main squeeze.  Neither are master thespians, but in this movie that doesn't really matter.

Cain eventually runs across Father Roy, one of those cheerfully profane priests who drinks and curses like a sailor but has all kinds of faith--not to mention firepower, which has all been blessed--when it comes to battling the forces of evil.  With his black cowboy hat and flowing cassock, Michael Madsen has a ball in the role and actually puts some effort into it instead of breezing through a few scenes just for the paycheck.  After reciting some dubious scripture to Black, he assures him, "It's in the Bible," then adds with that trademark smirk, "somewhere."

Vinnie Jones also seems to be enjoying himself as Cain, baring his pointy teeth with evil gusto as he orchestrates his army of the undead.  I actually prefer Vinnie as the soft-spoken good guy in THE RIDDLE and think he should play more such roles which give him a chance to actually act.  But he seems destined to do parts like this and is a welcome presence in them.  My main disappointment is that Armand Assante appears in only one brief scene as a tough cop.  Assante is like a nuclear reactor of cool, and for him to be so underused is a colossal waste. 

When Black and Father Roy track the vampires down to a flashy techno club inside an abandoned factory, the BLADE II influence comes to the fore as scores of kinky vampires writhe on the dance floor with unsuspecting mortals before the blood feast begins.  The beautiful Lena (Rachelle Leah), whom Black met earlier at a rest stop, is chosen as Cain's bride and must be rescued when the scene explodes in a cacophony of guns and gore.
 

The next sequence finds Black and Lena escaping in an 18-wheeler with the vampire horde hot on their heels, and, as you might guess, it recalls THE ROAD WARRIOR with a vengeance.  It may lack the same level of finesse (to say the least) and suffer a bit from salad-shooter editing, but makes up for it with loads of comic-book style and vehicular destruction.

Director Picerni, who has had a badass film career performing and coordinating hundreds of high-profile stunts (as well as directing many TV episodes and serving as second-unit director on major films such as BASIC INSTINCT and GHOST) serves up a smorgasboard of thrilling auto and motorcycle stunts that climax with the rig jack-knifing down the highway.  Chip-off-the-old-block Steve Picerni serves as stunt coordinator. 

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, with English and Spanish subtitles.  Extras include three five-minute featurettes (cast interviews, stunts, make-up and effects) and a trailer.

You know you're not watching an A-flick here, so you might as well relax and enjoy the cheesy, testosterone-fueled B-movie goodness--which THE BLEEDING provides in spades.  Packed with guns, ghouls, hot babes, cool cars, and metal-grinding mayhem, it's my kind of guilty pleasure.


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It's RONDO Time Again! Hatton You Oughtta Vote?

That's right, gals and ghouls--whenever you see us using that same awful pun yet again, you know it's time to cast your votes in the Ninth Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards!  Hard to believe it's been another year already, but time flies like a vampire bat when you're having fiendish fun.

As the OFFICIAL WEBSITE explains:  "The Rondos, now in their ninth year, are fandom's only classic horror award, decided by fans, for fans, and dedicated to preserving the undying spirit of monsters past.

"Every Rondo nominee below is being recognized for a significant achievement in the genre during the year of 2010. So please take a look at the ballot and let the nominees know how much we appreciate their work by voting."


The ballot, consisting of thirty categories, can be found HERE.  (You might even notice a certain familiar website among the nominees...not that we'd want to influence you or anything!)   Lots more info and a lively discussion of the whole thing are available at the Classic Horror Film Board.

So come on, horror fans...let your voices be heard!

FIVE CORNERS -- DVD review by porfle

One of those nostalgic reveries about living in the Bronx in the early 60s, FIVE CORNERS (1984) is worth watching because the parts that work are pretty good and the parts that don't are oddly interesting.

Like THE WANDERERS, it uses a Bob Dylan song ("The Times They Are A-Changin'", naturally) as shorthand to let us know that an old era is giving way to a new one.  This is also represented by Harry (Tim Robbins), a formerly violent youth converted to peace by the words of Martin Luther King.  Harry plans to become a civil rights worker in Mississippi, but meanwhile he has a more pressing concern--protecting his friend Linda (Jodie Foster) from the man who once tried to rape her (John Turturro as "Heinz") and has just been released from prison.

Robbins gives a restrained performance, Foster is fine as usual, but Turturro is the one to watch.  Striding angrily into the frame as he makes his entrance, he's all repressed hostility and googly-eyed paranoia and we're not sure what he's capable of.  Heinz nurtures the delusion of hooking up with a decidedly reluctant Linda and proves his love by stealing two penguins from the zoo as a gift.  Her refusal sets him off and from that point on his violent, unpredictable actions fuel the story.


What doesn't really work is that the more hardcore stuff is filtered through the same fondly nostalgic haze as the rest of the subplots, as realistic characters rub shoulders with comedic Noo Yawk caricatures.  Todd Graff (better known as "Hippy" in THE ABYSS) plays Linda's excitable boyfriend, Jamie, as though he's projecting for the back rows.  Two flatfoot police detectives enlisted by Harry to help track down a missing Linda also seem a tad too jokey to be involved in such serious business. 

In addition to Harry's uncomfortable meeting with a hostile black activist (Eriq La Salle of "ER") and a couple of nice scenes with his mother, who worries that she'll lose him as she did her "hero cop" husband, the scenes between Heinz and his cheerfully insane mother (Rose Gregorio) are a real highlight.  She's quite a character, and Heinz struggles to break through her blithely oblivious fascade until he's driven to commit one of the most startling acts in the film.

And then, there's the totally unrelated subplot which seems as though it were excised from a more lighthearted film and shoehorned into this one.  Melanie (Elizabeth Berridge, THE FUNHOUSE) and Brita (Cathryn de Prume) are a couple of ditzy "fast" girls, high on pills and sniffing glue, who hook up with two dopey horndoggers for a day of cheap thrills while Melanie's boyfriend scours the neighborhood for her.  Whenever this storyline pops up it's like switching channels between the movie and a weird episode of "Laverne and Shirley."


Direction by Tony Bill is okay but the editing never quite blends these disparate elements smoothly.  Strange that this period film about the 60s should look so much like an 80s flick, which gives it an oddly interesting visual quality.  (Unless I'm mistaken, the same bar where Frankie Five Angels almost gets whacked in GODFATHER PART II shows up here.)  Also of interest is the score, which, aside from a couple of really nice cues, is pretty awful--thus giving us a chance to observe the great James Newton Howard still finding his way as a film composer in this early effort.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound and English subtitles.  The sole bonus feature consists of about half-an-hour of trailers for this and other Handmade Films releases. 

Turturro's character carries FIVE CORNERS and keeps us involved as the rest of the film's patchwork elements exude their own modestly peculiar charms.  Elizabeth Berridge is a delight as Melanie--I'd like to see the rest of the movie she was plucked from.  I won't even go into the part where there seem to be Eskimos in the Bronx, shooting people with arrows.


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A PRIVATE FUNCTION -- DVD review by porfle

British comedy can be anywhere on the dial between wantonly zany and dry as a bone, with Handmade Films' A PRIVATE FUNCTION (1984) wavering somewhere in the middle with an odd combination of subtle and surprisingly lowbrow humor.

With strict post-WWII rationing still in effect, the citizens of 1947 Yorkshire are frantic to get their hands on black-market meat as local butchers live in fear of a Gestapo-like meat inspector named Wormold (Bill Paterson).  In honor of the impending wedding of Princess Elizabeth, pompous snob Dr. Swaby (Denholm Elliott, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) and the town's other leading businessmen are planning a grand society banquet for only the "best" people, with the main course being an illegal pig raised secretly on a nearby farm.

"Monty Python" alumnus Michael Palin plays one of his patented extremely dull characters as door-to-door chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers, whose dream of owning his own office in town is dashed by a spiteful Dr. Swaby.  His wife, Joyce (Maggie Smith), desperately hungers for both pork and a higher social standing.   When Gilbert discovers the existence of the illegal pig, their access to these may be only a daring pig-napping away.
 

A PRIVATE FUNCTION may look like an episode of "Masterpiece Theater", but it contains enough poop and flatulence jokes (beginning with the title) to make Alistair Cooke fall out of his chair.  These come into play mainly when Swaby and his cronies sneak out to the farm to check on their pig and discover that it's suffering from diarrhea (possibly from being fed too many dead rats). 

Once relocated to the Chilvers' kitchen, it goes everywhere except on the designated newspaper.  The smell begins to worry the neighbors but is conveniently attributed to Joyce's senile 74-year-old mother.  Much of the subsequent humor comes from Gilbert and Joyce's clumsy attempts to terminate the pig and what happens when its former owners discover its whereabouts, with the ever-vigilant Wormold closing in. 

Intestinal hijinks aside, the film's atmosphere conveys both a dreary sort of nostalgia and bleak desperation, with people crowding into butcher shops for scraps of tainted meat while the upper class eat steak.  The coldly efficient Wormold character, in his relentless search for contraband, may even remind you of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS' Hans Landa only without his sense of humor.   An almost youngish Pete Postlethwaite plays a shady butcher who increases his business by ratting out his peers to Wormold, who then raids their shops and carts them off to jail.  If this weren't a comedy, the subject could've easily been transformed into an absorbing drama.


Director Malcolm Mowbray keeps a tight rein on things and plays down the farcical nature of the story by keeping it low-key and realistic.  Viewers expecting a slapstick free-for-all to erupt at some point in the proceedings will be disappointed.  Even the ending refuses to ramp things up for a last burst of zaniness, with the closing credits appearing before we're quite ready for them to.

The leads all underplay their parts--no mugging here--with Palin and Smith making the most of their scenes together by keeping it achingly deadpan.  Palin in particular, his bland character avidly preoccupied with various feet throughout the film, has a way with such lines as this withering bit of dinner conversation: "Mrs. Roach's ingrowing toenail seems to have turned the corner."  

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital sound and English subtitles.  The sole bonus feature is over half-an-hour's worth of trailers for this and other Handmade Films. 

A PRIVATE FUNCTION is the kind of British comedy that fills me with a silent amusement punctuated by the occasional belly laugh. Much like "Ripping Yarns", the series Palin created with fellow Python Terry Jones, it invites us to derive a strangely curdled kind of humor from people and situations that are almost depressingly mundane.


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LOVE AT FIRST KILL -- DVD review by porfle

An eccentric performance by Margot Kidder highlights the tepid thriller LOVE AT FIRST KILL, aka "The Box Collector" (2008).  Without it, the film would be about as bland as a painting of a cardboard box.

Speaking of which, that's the peculiar specialty of young artist Harry (Noah Segen), who lives with his weird mother Beth (Kidder) because she's too flaky to be left on her own.  Harry isn't totally stable, either--he's plagued by nightmares of a woman dragging an unconscious man onto a railroad track, and a persistent childhood memory of hiding under a table while his father has extramarital relations on top of it. 

Beth won't talk about her long-gone husband except to commiserate about male infidelity with her shrewish friend Luz (Adriana O'Neil), whose own husband Burt (Michael Bowen) is a rattlesnake wrangler who has trouble keeping his own snake in his pants.  Beth and Luz are constantly foreseeing doom in their Tarot cards, and when a beautiful woman named Marie (Lyne Renee) moves in next door with her young daughter and starts warming up to Harry, an increasingly hostile Beth really starts to go off the deep end.
 

It's hard to figure out what LOVE AT FIRST KILL wants to be.  For awhile I was sure it would turn out to be a droll comedy-horror flick along the lines of NIGHT WARNING, especially since Margot Kidder's jealous-mom character bears a resemblance to Susan Tyrell's in that minor classic.  There are some obviously intentional dark-comedy elements, mainly the bickering Luz and Burt and their colorful but largely irrelevent subplot, and the marvelous Kidder chews the scenery while playing a nutty old hag without a shred of vanity.  But the rest of the story is as dry as peeling wallpaper, hinting all the while at a big thriller ending that never comes.


Noah Segan (DEADGIRL, CHAIN LETTER) seems unsure of whether to play Harry as a cool semi-stud or a dimwitted naif, and gets little help from the underwritten script.  In any case, we never really get why a gorgeous babe like Marie, who's hiding out from an abusive husband, should suddenly come on to Harry in true Penthouse Forum fashion and eventually urge him to break Beth's geriatric grip and run away with her.  Lyne Renee (who appeared with both Segan and Bowen a year later in THE HESSEN CONSPIRACY) brings little to the superficial role besides her stunning looks, and her character seems to exist only to give Beth a chance to seethe with ominous homicidal intentions. 

As the film creeps on, with Harry and Marie getting chummier and Beth getting flakier, we look forward to whatever impending freak-out must surely take place in the final minutes.  But just when all that build-up seems on the verge of paying off at last, a surprise "WTF?" moment comes from out of left field to yank the rug right out from under us.  You might call it a "twist letdown", deflating everything that's gone before for the sake of giving the film a frustrating headscratcher ending.  Worst of all, Margot Kidder's character and all its potential (thanks mainly to Kidder's still-considerable acting talent) are ultimately wasted.
   

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and English and Spanish subtitles.  There are no extras. 

I wanted to like LOVE AT FIRST KILL in a dumb-fun sort of way, and was rooting for it to come up with a semi-cool ending to make the rest of it worth sitting through.  But watching it is like digging into a box of cereal for the free prize pictured on front, and coming up with a handful of dry cornflakes. 


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