MURDOCH MYSTERIES: SEASON 3 -- DVD review by porfle

A richly imaginative mix of CSI-style forensic police procedurals and Victorian-era detective mysteries, Acorn Media's MURDOCH MYSTERIES: SEASON 3 is rousing good fun in every way.

Toronto of the late 1890s is the setting for the adventures of Inspector William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a brilliant young detective whose fascination with the scientific advancements of "The Age of Invention" gives him an invaluable advantage in solving the most baffling homicide cases.  While his crusty boss Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) is an old-school copper with a more sledgehammer approach to police work, he recognizes and supports the value of Murdoch's modern methods even when he doesn't understand them, giving him a free hand. 

This is an impeccably produced series with outstanding period atmosphere.  The stories, based on the novels of author Maureen Jennings, are well-written and filled with intriguing situations and wry dialogue laced with subtle humor.  A wide range of baffling mysteries include everything from a locked-door murder in which the victim appears to have been cooked from the inside out ("The Tesla Effect") to an apparent haunting in a cursed mansion ("The Curse of Beaton Manor"). 

Unlike the aloof, arrogant, and coldly-methodical Sherlock Holmes, Murdoch (as wonderfully played by Bisson) is an unassuming gentleman of deep moral and spiritual conviction--he crosses himself whenever he discovers a dead body--who is driven by a sense of propriety and compassion.  This sometimes hinders his impartiality and in certain cases causes him to arrive at incorrect conclusions, though he always reasons his way to the truth eventually.  The fact that Murdoch possesses certain fallibilities, along with a tinge of Victorian rigidity that conflicts with his more liberal convictions, makes his master-detective character all the more complex and disarmingly appealing.



In a particularly interesting ongoing storyline, Murdoch's suspicion that eccentric millionaire-inventor James Pendrick (Peter Stebbings) is a criminal mastermind behind a series of high-profile crimes will lead to several scintillating encounters culminating in the exciting season finale.  While Pendrick proves a challenging intellectual match for Murdoch, his beautiful and mysterious wife Sally (Kate Greenhouse) becomes a tempting distraction as her relationship with Murdoch grows almost indecently bold. 

The retro-futuristic concepts and devices which are so cleverly woven into each plotline are consistently intriguing without veering into the improbable or becoming mere gimmicks.  These run the gamut from simple things such as Murdoch's use of "fingermarks" in identifying suspects, to larger concepts like eugenics and a microwave death ray as conceived by Nikola Tesla (Dmitry Chepovetsky).  One of the show's many pleasures is watching Murdoch dazzle the admiring Inspector Brackenreid time and again with his newfangled techniques while leaving their stuffy, skeptical superiors in a state of consternation.

Also on the cutting edge of science as well as the burgeoning women's movement is the precinct's ace medical examiner, Dr. Julia Ogden (a radiant Helene Joy).  Dr. Ogden applies her up-to-date forensic skills to an endless parade of murder victims and comes up with evidence that would've been undetectable using more antiquated methods.  Bisson and Joy have a warm chemistry together during the scenes in which their characters pursue a long and chaste courtship, which reaches a crisis stage in the season cliffhanger with Dr. Ogden making a fateful decision about her medical career.

Additional characters include Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree, a bright but callow young officer eager to follow in Murdoch's footsteps, and Lachlan Murdoch as comic-relief bumbler Constable Higgins.  In addition to Nikol Tesla, Murdoch also meets author H.G. Wells (Peter Mikhail) in the eugenics-based episode "Future Imperfect."  Fans of the homespun Canadian comedy series "The Red Green Show" will be pleased to find regulars Patrick McKenna ("Harold Green") as an inept visiting detective in the season opener "The Murdoch Identity" and Peter Keleghan ("Ranger Gord") as a shady government agent in "The Tesla Effect."

Other noteworthy episodes include: "Me, Myself, and Murdoch", a study of multiple personalities with a dazzling performance by guest star Anastasia Phillips as a troubled girl found with a bloody axe in her hands after the murder of her father; "Rich Boy, Poor Boy", in which Inspector Brackenreid's own son Bobby is kidnapped after being mistaken for a millionaire's son; "The Great Wall", a tale of anti-Chinese racism with Murdoch's investigation of a cop killer possibly implicating members of a rival precinct; and "Love and Human Remains", in which the mummified bodies of three people challenge Murdoch and Dr. Ogden to solve a 60-year-old murder mystery.  Season opener "The Murdoch Identity" finds the amnesia-stricken detective in a quest to track down his own past while eluding a gang of unknown men who are out to kill him.

The four-disc, 13-episode DVD set from Acorn Media is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital stereo sound and English subtitles.  Extras consist of three brief featurettes (making of, costumes, makeup) and an alternate ending for episode 13 "The Tesla Effect" which wraps up a dangling storyline in the event that the series wasn't picked up for a fourth season (it was).

Nicely blending a hazy atmosphere of Victorian antiquity with intriguing flashes of the modern, MURDOCH MYSTERIES: SEASON 3 is a satisfying, finely-rendered detective series brimming with creativity and imagination.  Best of all, it's stocked with characters that you'll enjoy spending time with.


Buy it at Amazon.com:
DVD
Blu-Ray

MURDOCH MYSTERIES: SEASON 3 -- DVD review by porfle

"Season of the Witch" on BD and DVD June 28

OSCAR WINNER© NICOLAS CAGE STARS IN THE SUPERNATURAL ACTION-ADVENTURE "SEASON OF THE WITCH"


Arrives on Blu-ray and DVD June 28


LOS ANGELES, CA (April 28) – Oscar© winner Nicolas Cage ('National Treasure', Best Actor, ‘Leaving Las Vegas’) and Ron Perlman ('Hellboy', TV’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’) star in SEASON OF THE WITCH, a supernatural action adventure about a heroic Crusader, Knight Behmen (Cage) and his fellow soldier, Felson (Perlman) who must transport a woman accused of being a witch to a remote monastery. The arduous journey across perilous terrain tests their strength and courage as they discover the girl's secret and find themselves battling a terrifyingly powerful force that will determine the fate of the world.

Directed by Dominic Sena (Gone in Sixty Seconds, Swordfish), SEASON OF THE WITCH comes to Blu-ray and DVD June 28 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and includes a shocking alternate ending, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentaries (Blu-ray only) and more.

SEASON OF THE WITCH was released theatrically by Relativity Media and produced by Atlas Entertainment.

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.

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

SEASON OF THE WITCH Blu-ray (Catalog # 2275600) U.S.
Street Date: June 28, 2011
Pre-book Date: May 18, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Audio Format: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA; Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Languages: Dubbed English, French & Spanish; Subtitled English, French & Spanish
MPAA U.S. Rating: PG-13
Total Run Time: 95 Minutes

SEASON OF THE WITCH DVD (Catalog # 2275593) U.S.
Street Date: June 28, 2011
Pre-book Date: May 18, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Audio Format: English 5.1 Dolby Digital; Spanish Dolby Surround; French Dolby Surround
Languages: Dubbed English, French & Spanish; Subtitled English, French & Spanish
MPAA U.S. Rating: PG-13
Total Run Time: 95 Minutes

Buy it at Amazon.com:
DVD
Blu-Ray

"Season of the Witch" on BD and DVD June 28

CRAZY LOVE -- movie review by porfle

It's the same old love story you've heard a million times--boy meets girl, boy falls madly, obsessively in love with girl, girl eventually becomes creeped out by boy and gets engaged to another guy, boy freaks out and hires thugs to throw acid in girl's face.  Okay...maybe we haven't heard this one that many times.

There's enough material right there for a pretty good story, but CRAZY LOVE (2007) just keeps getting crazier.  This has got to be the most bizarre love story I've ever heard, or at least in the top three.  It's all true, too--nobody could make this stuff up.  And, like Forrest Gump or Zelig, the strange saga of Burt and Linda is laced with famous people and historical events that make it even more compelling.  But before it's all over, they're pretty famous themselves.

It all started the day a young ambulance-chasing lawyer and B-movie producer named Burt Pugach, described by one interviewee as resembling the nebbishy actor Arnold Stang, laid eyes on a beautiful young woman name Linda Niss on a street corner in the Bronx back in 1957.  Burt's aggressively full-throttle courtship of Linda began immediately, and while she wasn't nearly as taken with him, his extravagant lifestyle was attractive to her--until she found out he was already married and his current wife had no intention of granting him a divorce.  With that, she ended their "engagement" and began to seek romance elsewhere.

Burt did not take this well.  What follows is an increasingly outrageous series of events that include the aforementioned acid incident, Burt's bizarre trial in which he served as his own defense and ended up in prison for several years (where he was almost killed during the Attica uprising), and his eventual parole, when--sure enough--he started stalking Linda all over again.



The present-day Burt, a normal-enough looking older guy, sits cheerfully recounting his craze-o past while you can almost see the image of his beloved Linda still swirling through his mind and lighting up his eyes.  Meanwhile, there sits a barely-recognizable Linda somewhere else (somewhere far away from Burt, we hope), "bald and blind" as a friend describes her, wearing an obvious wig and dark glasses, puffing a cigarette and giving her side of the story.  We aren't told the present circumstances of the two for a long time--it's an intriguing mystery that runs through most of the film and isn't resolved until the final act, which left me almost numb with disbelief. 

This offbeat documentary by Dan Klores, who gave us the excellent VIVA BASEBALL! two years earlier, and co-director Fisher Stevens, is loaded with on-camera interviews with many of the people involved, which are all smoothly linked together with old photographs and home movies of Burt and Linda, vintage stock footage from the New York State Archives and other sources, and lots of news footage.  There's also a killer soundtrack with songs from Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Edie Brickell, and several others, plus a cool original score by Douglas J. Cuomo, all nicely evocative of the period. 

But it's those interview segments with Burt and Linda that get ya the most, especially when CRAZY LOVE reaches its final minutes and the true craziness of the whole thing is finally revealed.  Everybody loves a love story, they say, but I'm not sure everybody's quite ready for this one.


Buy it at Amazon.com

CRAZY LOVE -- movie review by porfle

Best British TV on DVD - U.S. Debuts, Blu-ray, Keeley Hawes, Genius of Britain, New Tricks, Doc Martin

Following the critically-acclaimed release of Upstairs, Downstairs: 40th Anniversary Edition, Acorn Media’s upcoming DVD release calendar features several highly entertaining British series previously unavailable to U.S. audiences, including Identity, a slick identity theft series with Upstairs, Downstairs revival star Keeley Hawes and The Wire’s Aidan Gillen; and the inspiration for the star-studded American remake in development at ABC.

Additionally, the U.S. debuts of the third season of Murdoch Mysteries (DVD and Blu-ray) - the critically-acclaimed Sherlock Holmes meets CSI series; The Feathered Serpent Complete Series, the cult classic set in ancient Mexico featuring Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who, The Omen); Circles of Deceit, riveting spy thrillers featuring Dennis Waterman (New Tricks) and guest stars Derek Jacobi, Corin Redgrave, John Hannah, and Leo McKern; and Genius of Britain: The Scientists Who Changed the World a new documentary featuring Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, James Dyson, and David Attenborough discussing the legacies of their heroes.

Also, Robin of Sherwood, Set 1, the definitive retelling of the Robin Hood legend makes its Blu-ray debut with more than eight hours of extras; starring Michael Praed (Dynasty) and Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Departed); and New Tricks Season 4, the must-see, smash hit crime series seen on public television; featuring a brilliant cast, deft writing, and an irresistible blend of compelling drama and dry humor.

This week: The must-see PBS hit series Doc Martin Collection: Series 1-4 starring Martin Clunes as a British version of House; as well as the light-hearted WWII-era comedy drama Demob also-starring Clunes; and 20th Century with Mike Wallace: America at War, featuring expert analysis from David Halberstam, Robert S. McNamara, and Sen. John McCain.

Best British TV on DVD - U.S. Debuts, Blu-ray, Keeley Hawes, Genius of Britain, New Tricks, Doc Martin

RED -- movie review by porfle

If you love dogs, you'll understand why Avery Ludlow (Brian Cox) won't rest until he gets justice for the senseless shooting of his best friend RED (2008), and you'll root for him all the way.  Needless to say, it's hard to see a good dog get murdered by bad guys, as happens in such films as HONDO, BIG JAKE, and THE ROAD WARRIOR in scenes that I still find painful to watch.  Here, the incident occurs early and serves to light the slow fuse for the powderkeg we know will go off before the movie's over. 

Like SLING BLADE, this is a leisurely-paced character study that takes place in a rural setting and slowly builds toward a violent climax.  Here, the main character of Avery Ludlow is an older gent who lives with his beloved canine companion Red, having tragically lost his wife and two sons years earlier.  While enjoying a lazy afternoon's fishing at a secluded lake, Avery is accosted by three young punks--brothers Danny and Harold, and their friend Pete--who first try to rob him and, discovering that the old geezer doesn't have enough cash to bother with, shotgun his dog just for the sadistic hell of it. 

Crushed beyond words, Avery tracks down the identity of the shooter and confronts the boy's father, McCormack (a blonde Tom Sizemore), in the hope of at least inspiring a little parental discipline.  But it turns out that the father is just as much of a punk as the kid, and a rich, influential one at that, so Avery's only recourse is to pursue legal channels.  This not only proves fruitless but eventually escalates into a feud between him and the McCormack clan that we just know aint a-gonna end well. 

Brian Cox brings the same quiet intensity to the role of Avery Ludlow as he did when brilliantly portraying the screen's first Hannibal Lecter in Michael Mann's MANHUNTER, although here, needless to say, he's a much more benign character.  Any other actor might have given in to temptation and chewed several large chunks of scenery along the way (I'm looking at you, George C. Scott) but Cox maintains a firm resolve throughout, making his moments of silent grief and barely-restrained anger more effective.
 


He gets one particularly dramatic single-take scene in which he recounts the lengthy tale of what really happened to his wife and sons to a sympathetic TV reporter named Carrie (Kim Dickens), and it's almost as riveting as Robert Shaw's "Indianapolis" story in JAWS.  Even when worst finally comes to worst, he never loses his cool, and never seeks the kind of revenge we're used to seeing in stories like this--all he wants is for somebody to own up to what happened and do right by him and old Red.

Tom Sizemore is just right as the sort of rich redneck who buys his delinquent son a shotgun for his birthday and doesn't give a damn what he does with it.  Noel Fisher succeeds in making us hate his guts as Danny, the kid who pulls the trigger on the dog, while Kyle Gallner as his guilt-ridden brother Harold is somewhat reminiscent of a soulful young Eric Roberts.  In lesser roles that are little more than cameos, Robert "Freddy" Englund and the always unpredictable Amanda Plummer play the weaselly parents of one of the boys, while HELLRAISER's Ashley Laurence is McCormack's abused wife. 
 
The direction, begun by Lucky McKee (MAY, THE WOODS) and completed by Trygve Allister Diesen, isn't particularly outstanding and the cinematography tends a bit toward the murky side, but both are adequate.  I haven't read the original novel by Jack Ketchum so I can't attest to the faithfulness of Stephen Susco's screenplay, though I can say that it's well-written.  The give and take between opposing sides keeps things interesting as it progresses from rocks to baseball bats to arson, and then, finally, to things that go "pow."

Once you get past that difficult early scene in which the dog dies--and if you're like me, it's indeed hard to do, especially after we're shown what devoted buddies Avery and Red are--this is a slow but engrossing tale that makes its way inexorably toward the final showdown between a man who won't compromise and a group of lowlifes just begging for some good old-fashioned comeuppance.  RED delivers, just as long as you aren't expecting to see it dished out Charles Bronson style.


Buy it at Amazon.com

RED -- movie review by porfle

"Vanishing On 7th Street" Coming To Blu-ray & DVD May 17

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN, JOHN LEQUIZAMO AND THANDIE NEWTON STAR IN THE TERRIFYING APOCOLYPTIC THRILLER "VANISHING ON 7TH STREET"

From Award-Winning Genre Director Brad Anderson, The Lights Go Out On
Blu-ray Disc And DVD May 17 From Magnolia Home Entertainment


When the city of Detroit is suddenly plunged into complete darkness, a group of strangers will need to band together in Vanishing On 7th Street, debuting on Blu-ray Disc and DVD May 17 from Magnolia Home Entertainment. Directed by Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Session 9) and starring Golden Globeânominee Hayden Christensen (Takers, Jumper), Emmy winner John Leguizamo (The Lincoln Lawyer, The Happening), Thandie Newton (For Colored Girls, 2012) and young R&B sensation Jacob Latimore, Vanishing On 7th Street taps into one of humankind’s most primal anxieties: fear of the dark. As the survivors gather at an abandoned tavern, they realize they have found their enemy in the darkness itself, with only their limited light sources available to keep them out of harms way. With time running out, they must face the horrific terror hiding in the shadows.

“A nicely calibrated mix of intellectual dread and visceral shock,” (MSN Movies), the Vanishing On 7th Street Blu-ray Disc and DVD includes suspenseful bonus features including a making-of featurette and commentary by Anderson. The Blu-ray Disc and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $29.98 and $26.98, respectively.

Synopsis
An unexplained blackout plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, and by the time the sun rises, only a few people remain—surrounded by heaps of empty clothing, abandoned cars and lengthening shadows. A small handful of strangers that have survived the night (Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo and newcomer Jacob Latimore) each find their way to a rundown bar, whose gasoline-powered generator and stockpile of food and drink make it the last refuge in a deserted city. With daylight beginning to disappear completely and whispering shadows surrounding the survivors, they soon discover that the enemy is the darkness itself, and only the few remaining light sources can keep them safe. As time begins to run out for them, darkness closes in and they must face the ultimate terror.

Buy it at Amazon.com:
DVD
Blu-Ray

"Vanishing On 7th Street" Coming To Blu-ray & DVD May 17

Roger Corman Presents DINOCROC VS SUPERGATOR coming July 12th on DVD and Blu-ray from Anchor Bay Entertainment

“Dino-Mite, Croc-Tastic! Goofy fun all the way.” – Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly

“An Awesome B-Movie Slice of Saturday Night Fun!” – April MacIntyre, MonstersandCritics.com

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT AND ROGER CORMAN PRESENT "DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR"

The Showdown Begins July 12th on Blu-ray™ and DVD


BEVERLY HILLS , CA – Monster smackdowns are as old as the movies themselves. Frankenstein vs. The Wolf Man. Godzilla vs. King Kong. Billy the Kid vs. Dracula. Freddy vs. Jason. But now Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly unleashes the ultimate Monster (S)Mash: Dinocroc Vs. Supergator, from Oscar®-winning executive producer Roger Corman. Dinocroc Vs. Supergator reunited Corman with cult star David Carradine (Death Race 2000, Kill Bill), in one of his final performances. SRP is a bite-size $19.98 for the DVD, and a tasty $24.99 for the Blu-ray™, with pre-book on June 15th.

Scientist Jason Drake (Carradine) has been holed up deep within a secret island laboratory of an unscrupulous biotech corporation. Doing what? Meddling with the laws of nature, of course! When he turns his attention from mutating fruits and vegetables to alligators, crocodiles and dinosaurs, something’s bound to grow to horrific proportions – and escape! Now, two of his most terrifying creations are loose on a tropical island paradise. Bullets won’t stop them. Explosives only tick them off. And their ravenous appetite for scientists, tourists, mercenaries and swimsuit models keeps growing.

In pursuit of the scaly beasts are an undercover investigator (Corey Landis), a sexy Fish & Game officer (Amy Rasimas), and a cold-blooded swamp hunter known only as “The Cajun” (Rib Hillis). But how can they stop two forces of perverted science that can outrun SUVs, crush buses, and snack on sleazy producers in hot tubs? When these monster lizards ultimately meet in battle, will mankind be the defeated species? Get ready for a bone-crunching, body-chomping, earth-trembling battle to the death!

About Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is the home entertainment division of Starz Media, LLC. It includes the Anchor Bay Films and Manga Entertainment brands. It distributes feature films, children’s entertainment, fitness, TV series, documentaries, anime and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group.

DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR Blu-ray™
Street Date:                 July 12, 2011
Pre-book:                     June 15, 2011
Cat. #:                         BD22968
UPC:                           0 1313 22968-9 0
Run Time:                   87 minutes
Rating:                        Not Rated
SRP:                            $24.99
Format:                        Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:                         Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles:                     English SDH, Spanish
Bonus Features:          Commentary by Roger Corman and director Jay Andrews

DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR DVD
Street Date:                 July 12, 2011
Pre-book:                     June 15, 2011
Cat. #:                         DV22489
UPC:                           0 1313 22489-9 6
Run Time:                   87 minutes
Rating:                        Not Rated
SRP:                            $19.98
Format:                        Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                     English SDH, Spanish
Bonus Features:          Commentary by Roger Corman and director Jay Andrews

Buy it at Amazon.com:
DVD
Blu-Ray

Roger Corman Presents DINOCROC VS SUPERGATOR coming July 12th on DVD and Blu-ray from Anchor Bay Entertainment

LORNA DOONE -- DVD review by porfle

LARRY: "And what might your name be, lass?"
LORNA: "Perhaps you've heard it, 'tis Lorna Doone."
SHEMP: "Hi, Lorna!  How ya Doone?"

This exchange from the Three Stooges short "Scotched in Scotland" was pretty much all I ever knew about Lorna Doone, never having read R.D. Blackmore's 1869 novel, seen any of the previous film adaptations, or eaten the cookies.  Now, Acorn Media's DVD release of the Thames Television production of LORNA DOONE (1990) brings me up to speed on the story, although not quite as entertainingly as I might've liked.

It gets off to a good start with a prologue showing how young John Ridd's father was murdered by Carver Doone (Sean Bean, FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, GOLDENEYE) of the Doone clan, a once-noble family now known as marauding outlaws.  This sequence is quite well done and gives John his first glimpse of Lorna, whom Carver has just kidnapped after killing her parents.  It also introduces us to the vast, gloomy countryside that plays such a major role in setting the mood of the film.



Twelve years later we find the older John (Clive Owen, SIN CITY) living with his sister Annie (Jane Gurnett) and mother Sarah (Billie Whitelaw, THE OMEN) on their small farm beneath the ever-lowering sky of rural England.  A chance meeting with the now-grown Lorna (Polly Walker) sparks a forbidden love that stirs things up big-time between the Ridds and the Doones, leading to a deadly feud involving half the local population.

Being a fan of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights", I was expecting a tempestuous romance similar to that of Heathcliff and Catherine, but the match-up of John and Lorna is a rather tepid affair.  It begins with a 17th-century "meet cute"--John tumbles over a waterfall while fishing and is plucked from the water by Lorna--and never really gets all that passionate or even convincing.  Clive Owen's stiff performance doesn't help, and Polly Walker's Lorna scarcely resembles Bronte's feral nature-child Catherine.

The most warm and heartfelt love affair, in fact, is the one between John's sister Annie and their cousin, notorious highwayman Tom Faggus (Miles Anderson), who comes to the farm seeking asylum.   Tom is a likable rogue and the story comes to life when he's onscreen, whether courting Annie or helping the Ridds fend off the attacking Doone clan in one of the film's two major battle sequences. 

It's here that LORNA DOONE sparks the most interest, although the direction and editing during these scenes is somewhat clumsy.  Sean Bean does all he can with his one-note character and is an effective scenery-chewing villain.  A later attack on the Doone compound by John and his fellow farmers, after the local militia fails to take action, is another relative highpoint.



Still, it's a pretty bland affair, with uninspired direction and unremarkable performances in the lead roles.  The script seems to be checking off the main parts of the story in rather cursory fashion, while the Cliff Notes dialogue lacks depth.  It all gets much more involving when we begin to learn of Lorna's true origins, with some pretty grand surprises in store for the Ridd family, but little of it truly effects us on an emotional level.

Supporting performances are strong, with Jane Gurnett and Miles Anderson as Annie and Tom being the most likable members of the cast. Billie Whitelaw, of course, can't help but be good no matter what she's in.  As Carver's young son Ensie, who is later adopted by John, the diminutive Euan Grant MacLachlan is wonderfully expressive. 

The DVD from Acorn Media is in fullscreen with Dolby Digital sound and English subtitles.  Text-based extras consist of cast filmographies and a biography of novelist R.D. Blackmore.

I probably shouldn't be too picky, since this is a television production that was probably done on a low budget and a tight schedule.  It does manage to maintain interest throughout its running time, with a rich period atmosphere and a smattering of fairly good scenes here and there.  But in the end, this version of LORNA DOONE does little more than make me want to seek out a better one.


Buy it at Amazon.com

LORNA DOONE -- DVD review by porfle

On DVD May 3 - Identity with Keeley Hawes, currently being remade by ABC, and Murdoch Mysteries Blu-ray debut

IDENTITY

Starring Keeley Hawes (Upstairs, Downstairs, Ashes to Ashes) and Aidan Gillen (The Wire); North American DVD Debut on May 3, 2011

American version starring Angela Bassett and Wentworth Miller in development at ABC

“Superlative. Watch it.” —The Observer
“Stylish, gripping and well acted”—The Sun

Slick British crime series delves into the shadowy world of identity theft; Available to U.S. audiences for the first time

Silver Spring, MD — ITV Studios’ slick, high-tech crime procedural Identity makes its highly anticipated North American debut from Acorn Media on May 3, 2011 on DVD. Keeley Hawes (Upstairs, Downstairs revival, Ashes to Ashes, MI-5) and Aidan Gillen (The Wire, Queer as Folk UK) star in this British series about an elite police team charged with investigating the high-stakes world of identity theft.  Broadcast on ITV in the U.K. in July 2010 and available to U.S. audiences for the first time, Identity features realistic plots and intelligent writing and offers a riveting glimpse into one of the 21st century’s most ubiquitous crimes. The DVD 2-Disc Set includes six episodes, as well as text interviews with the cast, and cast filmographies ($39.99, www.AcornOnline.com). An American remake is currently in development at ABC starring Angela Bassett (ER) and Wentworth Miller (Prison Break).

Uncovering the dark side of reinvention, Identity follows an elite police unit tracking identity thieves and their unwitting victims. DSI Martha Lawson (Keeley Hawes) assembles a crack team of investigators, betting her reputation on their results. Cavalier DI John Bloom (Aidan Gillen) has undercover experience and knows exactly what it’s like to live a lie. Ambitious DS Anthony Wareing (Shaun Parkes, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries) clashes with Bloom about his questionable past and even more questionable methods. Rounding out the group are cocksure DC José Rodriguez (Elyes Gabel, Casualty) and IT expert Tessa Stein (Holly Aird, Waking the Dead).

The cases reveal the many reasons for adopting a new persona, from simple greed to far more sinister motives. Solid detective work and high-tech investigative tools unmask the criminals but discord within the team may derail the operation.

Episodes:

Second Life, Chelsea Girl, Pariah, Reparation, Somewhere They Can’t Find Me, and Tomorrow Comes Early

Street: May 3, 2011               SRP: $39.99

DVD 2-Disc Set: 6 episodes - Approx. 279 min.
British mystery
SDH subtitles

Bonus Features: text interviews with the cast and cast filmographies

Contains violence and graphic images



MURDOCH MYSTERIES: SEASON 3

Forensic Sleuthing in the Age of Invention; Third season of the acclaimed period drama debuts on Blu-ray and DVD May 3, 2011

“Excellent adventure” —Midwest Book Review
“Smart, fast-paced fun” —The Globe and Mail
“As much a wild science lesson as it is a classic mystery”—The Globe and Mail
“Truly outstanding” – The Fort Bend/Southwest Star
“Yannick Bisson is perfect as Murdoch.” —Deseret News
“Mesmerizing” —The Sun

Silver Spring, MD —Combining the period appeal of Sherlock Holmes with the forensic fascination of CSI, Murdoch Mysteries, Season 3, debuts on Blu-ray and DVD from Acorn Media on May 3, 2011. This set marks the first Blu-ray release of the series. Based on the characters from award-winning author Maureen Jennings’ Detective Murdoch novels, the acclaimed Canadian series has garnered 25 Gemini® nominations to its credit, including Best Writing, Best Actor and Best Original Score. Set in Victorian-era Toronto, this engrossing and charming series follows Detective Murdoch as he uses revolutionary forensic techniques to solve the city’s most mystifying crimes. Distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment and available to U.S. audiences for the first time, the 4-volume DVD boxed set and 3-Disc Blu-ray set includes all 13 episodes from season three, plus a behind-the-scenes featurette and more ($59.99/$69.99, www.AcornOnline.com). Season 1 is currently airing on public television via APT and a fourth season has already been produced.    

This sharp, sophisticated mystery series features Yannick Bisson (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye) as William Murdoch, a Toronto police detective at the cutting edge of Victorian science. Together with a forward-thinking pathologist (Gemini® winner Hélène Joy, Durham County), he applies revolutionary criminology techniques to crack the toughest cases. This season finds Murdoch making the acquaintance of H.G. Wells, teaming up a second time with Nikola Tesla, investigating art forgery, and using the fledgling science of psychology to out the era’s most elusive murderers.

The series co-stars Thomas Craig (Where the Heart Is) and Jonny Harris (Hatching, Matching & Dispatching) with guest stars including Patrick McKenna (The Red Green Show), Lisa Faulkner (Murder in Suburbia), Ashley Leggat (Life with Derek), Sarah Gadon (Being Erica, Happy Town), Dmitry Chepovetsky (ReGenesis), and Peter Keleghan (The Newsroom).

Season 3 debuted in Canada on CityTV in February 2010 and a fourth season has already been produced.  Acorn Media previously released Season 1 in June 2009 and Season 2 in May 2010 as 4-Vol. DVD Boxed Sets ($59.99).

Murdoch Mysteries is based on the characters from Maureen Jennings’ Detective Murdoch novels. The first in her Murdoch series, Except for Dying, was released in 1997; followed by six more novels in the series. Jennings is a creative consultant on the television series. Series website: www.murdochmysteries.com

Special Features: Behind-the-scenes featurette (9 min.), and Episode 13 alternate ending

Street: May 3, 2011                          
13 episodes - Approx. 624 min., plus bonus
SDH subtitles

Blu-ray 3-Disc Set (SRP: $69.99) / DVD 4-Vol. Boxed Set (SRP: $59.99)

On DVD May 3 - Identity with Keeley Hawes, currently being remade by ABC, and Murdoch Mysteries Blu-ray debut

A MIND TO KILL: SERIES 3 -- DVD review by porfle

The eight feature-length episodes that appear on Acorn Media's 4-disc set A MIND TO KILL: SERIES 3 wrap up the popular Welsh TV series, which ran sporadically between 1994-2002, with a solid collection of somber tales which should be a real treat for fans of unusual police procedurals.

The aging but still highly capable Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain (Philip Madoc) returns from hiatus to find himself in charge of a station house whose jurisdiction covers a wide area.  This takes him from the shadowy streets and back alleys of the big city to those quaint little villages where the citizens are close-knit, tight-lipped, and suspicious of outsiders. 
 
Two examples of the latter are "Shadow Falls" and "The Little House in the Forest", both of which use the dreary Welsh countryside to add an element of gloom to the stories.  "Shadow Falls" first aired in 1998, a full three years before the next installment in the series, and at this point the show still has the feel of a Detective Book Club selection that one might curl up with on a stormy night.  The story of two suspicious suicides that take place ten years apart and the three couples who share a terrible secret regarding the victims is interesting though not altogether engaging.  But it's a good start and things get better from here.

"Shadow Falls" introduces us newbies to Bain's personality and methods.  A veteran who's seen it all, he's quietly unflappable and a bit curmudgeonly, a genial cynic with a wry sense of humor and a faintly-flickering spark of faith in humanity.  Refreshingly, Bain is neither a supercop, a renegade loner cop, nor an eccentric genius with the near-supernatural deductive skills of a Sherlock Holmes--he's simply a world-weary detective using his sharp mind, finely-honed instincts, and years of experience in the dogged pursuit of criminals.



Two other important characters make an appearance here.  The first is Sharon Morgan as the serenely cheerful Professor Margaret Edwards, master medical examiner and nominal love interest for Bain (their relationship is kept enticingly enigmatic until the final episode).  The second is Bain's independent-minded teenage daughter Hannah (Ffion Wilkins), who trades good-natured barbs with her dad but admires him enough to want to follow in his footsteps.  In this episode we see her begin to give unsolicited aid in Bain's investigation by questioning suspects on her own; in subsequent stories, she's a newly-graduated rookie cop assigned to her father's department. 

"Box" (2001) is the bizarre urban tale of a serial killer haunted by a childhood of abuse and a severe identity crisis, whose motives for murder are almost pathetic enough to garner sympathy.  It marks a transition between the somewhat rough-hewn qualities of "Shadow Falls" and the later episodes that gradually become more finely-rendered and intriguing, in terms of both story and production elements. 

The first really fine episode, "The Little House in the Woods", keeps us guessing as to the identity of a young girl's killer, focusing also on the devastation of the victim's parents and how the lust for revenge results in even more violence and death.  The discovery of a convicted child-murderer living in the woods near the victim's house after being released from prison complicates things even further. (William Thomas gives a fine performance as the enigmatic Beckwith, as do most of the supporting and guest players throughout the series.)

On the home front, Bain's relationships with the women in his life provide some drama as he plans to house-share with Margaret (teaching her how to tango leads to some coyly understated romantic overtures) and tries to help an insecure Detective Sergeant Leila Hamoudi (the slightly butch-looking but gorgeous Sara McGaughey) through her first case as lead investigator without stepping on her toes.  Hannah, meanwhile, learns not to jump to conclusions after overhearing part of a heated locker room exchange between Sgt. Tom Swann (Ieuan Rhys), whom she considers a "sexist bastard", and another officer.

The show just keeps getting better with "Soundbites", in which an aspiring local policitian and popular talk radio host who advocates vigilante justice (Phil Reid) is torn when his own troubled son is accused of arson and attempted manslaughter.  This darkly moody story is beautifully directed and shot and is technically and visually the best of the lot so far, with a sinewy musical score and strong guest performances.  "Colour Blind", a twisted tale of racist skinheads vs. Pakistanis and the hit-and-run murder of a young student named Kasim, is another winner.



In "The Inner Life of Strangers", a pop star suddenly trades the spotlight for the quiet life in a remote village but is hounded by a homicidal stalker who starts offing her friends and working his way to her.  "Engineer" is another revenge tale in which a surgeon whose carelessness puts a young girl into a coma finds his own daughter kidnapped by the girl's father.  The final episode, "Blood and Water", ends the series in grand style as the brutal murder of a young woman in an alley leads to one man's agonizing conflict over whether or not to help his estranged brother beat the rap, while grappling with his own morbid obsessions and crippling guilt over a past deed. 

Sharply directed with a natural, non-melodramatic style, A MIND TO KILL eschews sensationalism, flashy camerawork and editing, and pulse-pounding music in favor of a somber, mature style that's absorbing and consistently rewarding.  As Bain, star Philip Madoc (DR. JEKYLL & SISTER HYDE, JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN) is interesting to watch because of his restraint, refusing to imbue the character with the standard kit of theatrical eccentricities or bursts of show-stopping histrionics.  This is true of the rest of the cast as well, all of whom are consistently fine and help give the show its air of realism.  An interesting side note is that each episode was shot twice, both in English and Welsh (the Welsh title is "Yr Heliwr").

The DVD set from Acorn Media is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital stereo sound and English subtitles.  A text-based extra on disc one features three of "The Women of 'A Mind to Kill'"', with comments from Sharon Morgan, Ffion Wilkins, and Gillian Elisa (who appeared in some earlier episodes as "DS Alison Griffiths"). 

As I've mentioned before,  I liken British cop shows such as this to Detective Club mystery novels, those leisurely-paced, atmospheric tales with great characters and absorbing plots that make for a good, slow read.  If you don't have the patience or attention span for that brand of entertainment, then A MIND TO KILL: SERIES 3 will probably have you snoozing within the first five minutes.  Otherwise, settle in and enjoy this above-average collection of bleak mystery tales.


Buy it at Amazon.com

A MIND TO KILL: SERIES 3 -- DVD review by porfle

MGM's Limited Edition Collection Announces New Titles

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Unveils New Selection of Classic Films from MGM’s Limited Edition Collection

19 New Classics Currently Available From Online Retailers

LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2011) – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is bringing even more classics to DVD in April through its unique “manufacturing on demand” (“MOD”). The newest group of films will be part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection and available through online retailers. The vast catalog ranges from 1980’s DEFIANCE to 1965’s four-time Academy Award® nominated A THOUSAND CLOWNS.

Enjoy your favorite movies from across the decades including:

1950's
DAVEY CROCKETT, SCOUT (1950): A U.S. military scout is assigned to stop Indian attacks on a defenseless group of wagon trains making their way West. Stars George Montgomery, Ellen Drew, Noah Beery Jr. Directed by Lew Landers.
CLOUDBURST (1951): A World War II veteran, working in the British Foreign Office, avenges his wife's murder. Stars Robert Preston, Elizabeth Sellars, Noel Howlett, Harold Lang. Directed by Francis Searle.
FORT DEFIANCE (1951): The story of a young blind man, the brother he worships and a Civil War veteran who intends to kill the latter. Stars Dane Clark, Peter Graves. Directed by John Rawlins.
CHICAGO CONFIDENTIAL (1957): Brian Keith stars as Jim Fremont, an Illinois States Attorney fighting corrupt unions in Chicago. The union crooks in collaboration with a gambling syndicate try to pin a murder rap on an uncooperative union leader Blane (Dick Foran). Fremont and his co-worker fiancee Laura (Beverly Garland), work to prove Blane's innocence and to punish the true villains. Also stars Brian Keith. Directed by Sidney Salkow.
FOUR BOYS AND A GUN (1957): The moving story of four young men struggling against overwhelming odds to remain honest. When a crooked employer shorts their earnings they turn to crime, with their first theft ending in tragedy. Stars Frank Sutton, Tarry Green, James Franciscus, William Hinant. Directed by William Berke.
FORT BOWIE (1958): Attempting to affect peace between his men and the Apaches, the commander of a fort unwittingly inspires an Indian massacre. Stars Ben Johnson, Kent Taylor, Jan Harrison, Jana Davi. Directed by Howard W. Koch.
THE GUN RUNNERS (1958): The owner of a cabin cruiser in Florida innocently rents it to a ruthless gun merchant who sells arms to a revolutionary group in Cuba. Stars Audie Murphy, Eddie Albert. Directed by Don Siegel.

1960's
THE HAPPY THIEVES (1961): A dapper art thief enraptures a wealthy duchess, then steals a priceless painting from her estate. Stars Rita Hayworth, Rex Harrison, Joseph Wiseman. Directed by George Marshall.
GERONIMO (1962): Chuck Connors stars as the legendary Apache leader in this sweeping 1883 story that has the brave Geronimo steadfastly holding his ground against both U.S. and Mexican military forces. Stars Chuck Connors, Kamala Devi. Directed by Arnold Laven.
STOLEN HOURS (1963): Susan Hayward stars as a rich Texas playgirl with no real ambition who meets a young Welsh doctor who sees the despair beneath her indifference -- and the illness she's trying to hide. Also stars Michael Craig, Diane Baker. Directed by Daniel Petri.
THE CEREMONY (1963): The brother of a man sentenced for committing murder during a bank robbery plans his brother's escape on the condition his brother's girl dates him instead. Stars Laurence Harvey, Sarah Miles, Robert Walker Jr., John Ireland, Ross Martin, Lee Patterson. Directed by Laurence Harvey.
A THOUSAND CLOWNS (1965): In this four-time Oscar® nominated film (including Best Picture), Jason Robards stars as a nonconformist who is forced to find a conventional job. Barbara Harris and Martin Balsam co-star. Directed by Fred Coe.

1970's
CALL OF THE WILD (1972): Based on the 1903 Jack London (WHITE FANG) adventure classic, CALL OF THE WILD is an exciting tale of gold fever and adventure in the Yukon. Also Stars Charlton Heston. Directed by Ken Annakin.
THE DESTRUCTORS (1974): A tough U.S. Embassy official in Paris is assigned to break a narcotics ring, but after several of his agents are killed he hires a professional killer. Stars Michael Caine, Anthony Quinn, James Mason. Directed by Robert Parrish.
OLD DRACULA (1975): In this spoof of the Transylvanian legend, David Niven stars as Count Dracula, who sinks his fangs into a bevy of Playboy Bunnies in order to find the right blood type to resurrect his dear-departed wife. Also stars Teresa Graves, Peter Bayliss, Jennie Linden, Nicky Henson. Directed by Clive Donner.
BOBBIE JO & OUTLAW (1976): A stunning carhop who wants to be a country singer and her sweetheart who dreams he's Billy the Kid become involved in robbery and murder. Stars Marjoe Gortner, Lynda Carter. Directed by Mark Lester.

1980's
DEFIANCE (1980): An out-of work merchant seaman single-handedly tames a powerful street gang ("The Souls") that has been terrorizing his neighborhood on New York City's Lower East Side. Stars Jan Michael Vincent, Theresa Saldana, Art Carney. Directed by John Flynn.
THOSE LIPS, THOSE EYES (1980): Stagestruck adolescent learns about love the hard way while interning in Cleveland summer stock during the early '50's. Stars Frank Langella, Jerry Stiller. Directed by Michael Pressman.
PATTY HEARST (1988): A dramatization of the newspaper heiress' abduction and subsequent brainwashing by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Stars Natasha Richardson, William Forsythe, Ving Rhames, Dana Delany, Frances Fisher, Jodi Long. Directed by Paul Schrader.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles.  Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Domestic Networks LLC, MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive.  In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 120 countries.  MGM ownership is as follows:  Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%).  For more information, visit www.mgm.com.


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.

MGM's Limited Edition Collection Announces New Titles

FALL DOWN DEAD with Dominique Swain and David Carradine coming June 14th to DVD from Image Entertainment

“She (Dominique Swain) anchors the movie with a well-balanced combination of heroism and realistic fear.” - BlogCritics.com

Police are on the trail of a serial killer – following clues that are as barbaric as they are “artistic”.  They have called the criminal the “Picasso Killer”:  death is his inspiration, the carved bodies of his victims are his works of art. On June 14 Image Entertainment will release Fall Down Dead, a terrifying journey through a city caught in the grips of a madman and his misdirected “skills.”  Fall Down Dead will be available on DVD for an SRP of $27.97, as well as available via digital download for $14.99

Christie (Dominique Swain – Alpha Dog) does not know it, but she is being stalked…by someone who doesn’t know her, yet is obsessed with her.  His name is Aaron Garvey, known as the “Picasso Killer” (Udo Kier – Blade, Halloween):  a madman whose victims are just sketches, as he prepares to make Christie his bloody masterpiece. One Christmas Eve, he discovers his ultimate prey, as Christie is heading home from work. Most businesses have already closed, but she is able to take refuge as she persuades a security guard (Golden Globe® nominee David Carradine – Kill Bill 1&2) to let her into an office building.  Fueled by his maniacal creativity, the killer follows…and the game of cat-and-mouse begins.

A cold-blooded serial killer…a police force with nothing to go by but his shocking handiwork…a body count that is climbing…what can Christie do before she becomes the next victim to Fall Down Dead?

Fall Down Dead DVD
Genre:                          Horror, Feature Film, Serial Killers, Thriller
Rating:                          R for violence, grisly images, a scene of strong sexuality, some  nudity and language      
Languages:                   English
Format:                        1.78:1
Audio:                          Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                       English, Spanish
SRP:                            $27.97 DVD
Street Date:                  June 14, 2011
Pre-Book:                    May 17, 2011
Length:                         93 minutes
UPC :                            014381676426
Cat#:                            NFI6764DVD

Buy it at Amazon.com

FALL DOWN DEAD with Dominique Swain and David Carradine coming June 14th to DVD from Image Entertainment

Rediscover the Thrill of "THE BOONDOCK SAINTS" on Blu-ray June 14th

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS: Truth & Justice Edition

The Must-Have Blu-ray Arrives on June 14th With All-New Bonus Features

LOS ANGELES (April 6, 2011) – The souls of the wicked shall be purified by blood—but only at the hands of two notorious vigilante brothers whose killing spree is a mission from God. The cult phenomenon THE BOONDOCK SAINTS: Truth & Justice Edition arrives on Blu-ray June 14th from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Just in time for Father’s Day, THE BOONDOCK SAINTS: Truth & Justice Edition contains both the R-rated and unrated director’s cut with digital copy for the first time and an all-new, never-before-seen bonus feature that pulls you even deeper into the gritty, action-packed Boondock’s world.

When a series of mysterious murders occur in Boston, the police begin to suspect that the deaths are vigilante killings perpetrated by twins Connor (Sean Patrick Flannery, To Live and Die) and Murphy (Norman Reedus, American Gangster) MacManus. Pursued by FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Dafoe, Spider-Man 3), the devout Irish Catholic duo maintain innocence while wreaking havoc on the town dispensing their own brand of justice—a perverse, religious mission to rid Boston of all evil men. After enlisting the help of their friend Rocco (David Della Rocco, The Boondock Saints: All Saints Day), the brothers set out to hunt down every mobster and vicious criminal with unusual flair and dramatic style: by praying for each victim before the ensuing bloodbath. The Russian mob hires a hitman, the infamous ‘Il Duce’ (Billy Connolly, X-Files, I Want to Believe), to avenge the deaths of their comrades. However, the showdown between the MacManus twins and Il Duce ultimately leads to a shocking and unbelievable climax.

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS: Truth & Justice Edition will be available on 2-Disc Blu-ray and Digital Copy in the U.S. only. Pre-book is May 4.

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS: Truth & Justice Edition Blu-ray
Disc 1:
Feature Film
--Theatrical Version
--Unrated Directors Cut
Special Features:
ALL-NEW! The Boondock Saints – The Film and the Phenomenon
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Troy Duffy
Audio Commentary with Actor Billy Connolly
Outtakes
Theatrical Trailer
Deleted Scenes

Disc 2:
Digital Copy

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.

THE BOONDOCK SAINTS Blu-ray: (Catalog # 2273394)
Street Date: June 14, 2011
Pre-book Date: May 4, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English and Spanish
U.S. Rating: Theatrical Version - R
 Director’s Cut - Unrated
Total Run Time: 2 hours, 52 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Buy it at Amazon.com

Rediscover the Thrill of "THE BOONDOCK SAINTS" on Blu-ray June 14th

"DAHMER VS. GACY" Rampages Onto DVD May 10

Walking Shadows and Virgil Films & Entertainment Proudly Present
DAHMER VS. GACY


All Bloody Hell Has Broken Loose!


In the Spirit of Freddy vs. Jason, 'Horror-ific' Thriller
Rampages Onto DVD May 10th

LOS ANGELES - May 1, 2011 - For Immediate Release - Two infamous killers … one ultimate, epic showdown in the horrorfest Dahmer vs. Gacy, rampaging onto DVD May 10 from Walking Shadows (distributed by Virgil Films & Entertainment).

Deep within a secret government lab, Dr. Hess (Art LaFleur, Field of Dreams, Maverick) is obsessively working to create the ultimate killer by combining the DNA of two of the world's most infamous serial murderers, Jeffrey Dahmer (Ford Austin, The Wright Stuff, Grappling With Your Demons) and John Wayne Gacy (Randal Malone, The Curse of Lizzie Borden, Creepies 2).

All hell is unleashed when a freak accident allows their escape … and the only hope of stopping the carnage is Ringo, a holy, buckets-of-crazy soldier "trained by God" (Harland Williams, The Whole Nine Yards, Dumb and Dumber) who enters battle with a shotgun in one hand and a whiskey bottle in the other.

As Ringo embarks on a road trip to hell, he confronts an army of Japanese ninjas, a super serial killer (Ethan Phillips, Star Trek: Voyager, Benson) and his own demons before the ultimate, bloody showdown.

Dahmer vs. Gacy - winner of the "Audience Award" at the 2010 Bare Bones International Film Festival - features cameos by Steven Adler (drummer for Guns N' Roses) and Jerry Maren ("Lollipop Kid" in 1939's The Wizard of Oz).

Dahmer vs. Gacy is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16x9 and Dolby 2.0 audio. 

About Walking Shadows:
Walking Shadows, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., is a motion picture and DVD producer and distributor. Under the direction of Alex Nohe - who has consulted on such hit films as the Oscar-winning Gods & Monsters, Academy Award-nominated Waco: The Rules of Engagement, Trekkies (Paramount), Michael Moore's The Big One (Miramax), Mayor of the Sunset Strip (First Look) and Bubba Ho-Tep (MGM), among others - the company specializes in marketing quality independent, foreign, arthouse, genre and documentary films for theatrical, television, DVD and digital applications. Included in its library are such notable documentaries as I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal, I Shot JFK, Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, Saint and Burning Man: The Burning Sensation; the award-winning German film Beautiful Bitch; and the hit horror films Re-Cycle and Colin. Visit us at www.WalkingShadows.com

About Virgil Films & Entertainment:
Virgil Films & Entertainment, formerly Arts Alliance America, was founded in 2003 as Hart Sharp Video by Joe Amodei to develop, acquire, market and distribute DVD product in the theatrical film, documentary, special interest and sports categories. The company has built partnerships with such high-profile entertainment brands as Sundance Channel Home Entertainment, National Geographic Cinema Ventures, ESPN, MLB Productions, Bombo Sports and Entertainment and Morgan Spurlock's Warrior Poets, among others. For more information, please visit: www.VirgilFilmsEnt.com

Dahmer vs. Gacy
Virgil Films & Entertainment
Genre: Horror
Not Rated
Format:  DVD only
Running Time:  Approx. 85 Minutes
Suggested Retail Price:  $24.99
Pre-Order Date:  April 12, 2011
Street Date:  May 10, 2011
Catalog #:  670753
UPC Code:  #829567075326

Buy it at Amazon.com:
DVD
Blu-Ray 

"DAHMER VS. GACY" Rampages Onto DVD May 10

THE WAY BACK -- DVD review by porfle

As the spoiler-ish foreword tells us, three men crossed the Himalayas into India on foot in 1941, having trekked 4,000 miles after their escape from a Siberian gulag.  Peter Weir's THE WAY BACK (2010), based on a true story (which, unfortunately, has since been debunked), takes us every grueling step of the way. 

The story opens after Germany and the Soviet Union have invaded Poland in 1939 and divided the country between them, with our main character Janusz (Jim Sturgess) being branded a spy when his own wife is tortured into falsely testifying against him.  He ends up in that horribly bleak gulag with many other political prisoners and the harsh Siberian surroundings serving as an effective escape deterrent.

But escape he does, along with a grizzled American known only as Mister Smith (Ed Harris), a violent street thug named Valka (Colin Ferrell), Tomasz the mild-mannered cook and sketch artist (Alexandru Potocean), light-hearted accountant Zoran (Dragos Bucur), and Voss, a former priest haunted by his past (Gustaf Skarsgård).  Along their perilous trek to freedom they pick up a runaway Polish girl named Irena (Saoirse Ronan, ATONEMENT, DEATH DEFYING ACTS), on her own after her parents were executed.



The early part of the film gives us a glimpse of how bleak, hopeless, and cheap life in a gulag was, with the inmates barely kept alive only to serve as slave labor.  Janusz' decency is shown when he shares his food with a starving man; the more pragmatic Smith warns him that such kindness can be fatal, although he himself will come to depend on it in the long run.  Janusz also proves himself a leader others are willing to follow when they join him in a daring impromptu escape.

Getting out seems easy enough, mainly because the guards don't expect anyone to be crazy enough to go running off into the Siberian wilderness in the middle of a snowstorm.  This is just the beginning of the arduous journey both the characters and the viewer must now undertake for the rest of the film.  With locations in Bulgaria and Morocco standing in for Russia and Mongolia, we watch them suffer step by painful step through the worst extremes of bitter cold and blistering heat.

Character development is slim in the beginning, and it isn't until Irena joins the group and starts digging into the pasts of her walking companions that we learn more about them.  Weir takes his time but eventually we get to know these guys well enough to become invested in what happens to them, although only a few of them are fleshed out enough for us to truly care.  The sweet and innocent Irena slowly reawakens the humanity in the gruff Mister Smith while helping Voss come to terms with his hidden guilt, and her presence eventually brings out the best in the rest of them as well.



It isn't until much later that we find out what drives Janusz to keep pushing himself and the others forward when all hope seems lost.  His quest becomes the heart of the journey and is given a poignant resolution at the film's end, although this scene, while reasonably cathartic, doesn't quite pluck the heartstrings as keenly as it could have. 

The film does, however, contain scenes of genuine emotional power along the way, which are effective in great part by their restraint.  While the backdrops are consistently epic in scope, director Weir (THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY, THE TRUMAN SHOW) keeps things focused on the intimate human story.  One death scene in particular--and there are several, as the core group gets whittled down by the elements--is almost ethereal in its bittersweet beauty.

Sturgess holds it all together as Janusz, convincing in his grim determination to survive and keep his companions from giving up when all seems hopeless.  Harris' Mister Smith becomes a more compelling character the more we learn about him, while Saoirse Ronan is utterly winning as Irena. 

Also turning in a fine performance is Colin Ferrell as the "feral" Valka, whom we somehow come to like despite the fact that he's a ruthless scoundrel who's not above contemplating cannibalism when the food rations run out.  I like the way his character comes to admire Janusz for his practical knowledge and resourcefulness, eventually dubbing him "Pakhan", a term used to describe a respected leader in Valka's criminal fraternity.  I've always liked Ferrell in spite of the flack he seems to get for whatever reasons, and he plays this role to the hilt.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 2.35:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.  Subtitles are in English and Spanish.  Extras include a 30-minute "making of" featurette and a trailer.

While not as emotionally overwhelming as it might have been, THE WAY BACK maintains our interest throughout its lengthy running time by telling a story of simple compassion in a time of barbarism, and the human spirit triumphing against great odds.  The settings may look epic, but instead of hosting vast hordes of clashing armies, these panoramic vistas contain only the tiny figures of a few people trying to stay alive long enough to find freedom and, in some cases, redeem themselves.


Buy it at Amazon.com:
DVD
Blu-Ray

THE WAY BACK -- DVD review by porfle