DOOM PATROL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON -- Blu-ray/Digital Review by Porfle

(Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.)

Originally posted on 9.30.2019

 

It's binge-watching time again with another entertaining superhero-centric season set, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's 3-disc Blu-ray DOOM PATROL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON. 

I never read the classic DC comic book (which inspired Marvel's "The X-Men") as a kid, but these 15 episodes proved, for the most part anyway, to be some of the most fun, engaging, and utterly surreal superhero stuff I've seen on any screen.

The pilot/origin story tells how the seemingly benign but unfathomably eccentric wheelchair-bound scientist Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton) rescues various people from horrific physical injuries, mental and/or biological catastrophes (such as suddenly turning into a monster, etc.), rehabilitates them in some way, and assembles them into a motley gang of super-powered misfits who are expected to save the earth from all manner of extreme evil and paranormal calamity.



Thus, much of the action is as mental as it is physical, leading to some real "Twilight Zone"/"X-Files" type plots with the same dark, mind-expanding "sense of wonder" as a good Clive Barker novel but with a rich vein of often lowbrow humor running through all the deeply weird, sometimes downright bizarre character drama.

It's good to see Brendan Fraser (BLAST FROM THE PAST, THE MUMMY) with such a meaty role again even if he does resemble a robot version of Ron Perlman as former race car star Cliff Steele, whose horrific auto accident turns him--with Dr. Caulder's help--into the group's version of the Tin Man. Cliff's tragic loss of his wife and daughter add to the complexity of his character even though he provides most of the show's comic relief.

Joivan Wade plays Cyborg, the closest thing to a real "superhero" on the team (I couldn't figure out where I'd seen the character before until it finally hit me that he'd been one of the Teen Titans) but subject to his own problems due to technical malfunctions in his semi-robotic body in addition to doubts as to the motives of his own father (Phil Morris), a brilliant scientist who saved his life by making him less than human.

April Bowlby plays the former movie star who, through a weird on-set mishap, frequently turns into a pulsating blob against her will. Matt Bomer is Larry "Negative Man" Trainor, an aspiring Mercury astronaut who, during a high altitude test flight, picked up a strange alien hitchhiker now residing in his body and giving him unpredictable powers.

But most unpredictable of all is the volatile Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), an incredibly disturbed young woman with 64 different personalities, each with its own unbridled superpower. 

The result is a fascinating and mostly likable bunch of anti-heroes (with special emphasis on the "anti") who spend much of their time getting into each other heads (in one episode Cliff literally gets into Crazy Jane's head and almost doesn't make it back out) or trying to fathom the deep, dense mysteries of Dr. Caulder himself.

What looks at first as though it's going to be mostly comedic eventually becomes deeply moody and introspective, subjecting the characters to episodes of heavy soul-searching that often result in their acting out in reckless superhero style. 

Still, some of the episodes are heavy on the action, such as when an evil government organization bent on wiping out anything or anyone who's too "abnormal" captures our heroes in their underground bunker, which becomes the site of a battle royale.  During it all the team members are still learning how to use and control their own powers, often resulting in chaos.

Direction and photography are endlessly kinetic and eye-pleasing (especially in this pristine Blu-ray edition) and performances are uniformly fine, with Fraser, Dalton, and the versatile Guerrero as the standouts. Alan Tudyk (A KNIGHT'S TALE) tries his best as the team's arch-enemy, Mr. Nobody, but despite the show's intention to make him a strongly engaging (and funny) villain I never really found the character all that effective.

This is especially true in the season finale, a poorly-conceived episode that I prefer to consider apocryphal in relation to the mostly excellent fourteen episodes which precede it. When the team's final adventure of the season ultimately features a giant kaiju cockroach and a giant kaiju rat locked in a passionate French kiss in the middle of town with various members of the Doom Patrol crawling around in their stomachs, I found myself hoping that the writers would calm down, go back to the drawing board, and get a fresh start for season two. 

Be that as it may, the majority of episodes in DOOM PATROL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON are first-rate fantasy/sci-fi/superhero entertainment that's just brimming with fun. Rather than giving us one "origin story" episode followed by various adventures, the entire season is an ongoing origin tale where everything that happens is yet another step in the evolution of these reluctant heroes and their bumbling yet earnest efforts to save the universe.


DIGITAL FEATURES

    Gag Reel 

BLU-RAY & DVD FEATURES

    Gag Reel
    Deleted Scenes
    Featurette: "Come Visit Georgia"

15 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

    Pilot
    Donkey Patrol
    Puppet Patrol
    Cult Patrol
    Paw Patrol
    Doom Patrol Patrol
    Therapy Patrol
    Danny Patrol
    Jane Patrol
    Hair Patrol
    Frances Patrol
    Cyborg Patrol
    Flex Patrol
    Penultimate Patrol
    Ezekiel Patrol

Read our original coverage HERE

DOOM PATROL: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON -- Blu-ray/Digital Review by Porfle

BATMAN: THE MOVIE (1966) -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 10/31/09

  

I remember when Bat-mania hit. When the Adam West TV series premiered, millions of kids were glued to their sets. We thrilled to the colorful adventures of the Caped Crusaders, Batman and Robin, as they fought to keep flamboyant foes such as Joker, Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman from terrorizing the good citizens of Gotham City. It was like seeing the old Bob Kane comics brought to life, and we all went batty over it. In no time the Batman logo was all over T-shirts, lunch boxes, bubblegum cards--you name it. It was cooler than cool.

We didn't know it was a comedy. Most of our parents and older siblings didn't either--they just thought it was the silliest, stupidest thing they'd ever seen, and as we sat there watching each episode in Bat-ecstacy while the older folks poured on the derision, the jokes just went zooming like Batarangs right over all our heads. As I got a little older, I finally started to catch on to how dumb it was myself. But it wasn't till much later, when the Tim Burton movie prompted a lot of local stations to start showing reruns, that it finally dawned on me that "Batman" was one of the most deliriously funny comedies to ever hit the airwaves.

Meanwhile, back in my childhood...the show had been on for one season when word hit the playground that there was gonna be a movie. HOLY HOLLYWOOD, Batman! The local theater was packed to the gills with screaming kids on a Saturday morning back in '66 when BATMAN:THE MOVIE lit the place up. 

We sat in awe as our formerly TV-sized heroes went widescreen with bigger adventures, a bevy of bad guys, and better Bat-gadgets such as the Batcycle, the Batboat and the Batcopter, in addition to the already-awesome Batmobile. 

What we didn't realize at the time was that the movie was just as dumb as the TV series--maybe even dumber! Along with the POW!, WHAM!, and THUD! graphics that "Batman" was famous for, there might as well have been a giant ZOOM! above our heads as the jokes continued to sail right over them.

Back in the Batcave--that is, my livingroom, present day--I can now enjoy BATMAN:THE MOVIE as the wonderfully funny spoof that it is. Adam West as the wise, mysterious, somber Batman and Burt Ward as his earnest, straight-arrow yet boyishly-impetuous sidekick Robin are almost painfully deadpan. 

They take their responsibility as the Dynamic Duo, tireless protectors of Gotham City, with utmost seriousness, and they totally crack me up as they swoosh down their Batpoles, leap into the Batmobile, and Bat-a-pult into action against the nefarious foes of all that is decent.

Their dialogue is often hilarious, as in this Batcave think-session which features them trying to decipher two of the Riddler's fiendishly clever brain-teasers:

BATMAN: "Listen to these riddles, Robin...tell me if you interpret them as I do. One: what has yellow skin and writes?"
ROBIN: (after a moment's reflection) "A ballpoint banana!"
BATMAN: "Right! Two: what people are always in a hurry?"
ROBIN: "Rushing...people...Russians!"
BATMAN: "Right again. Now what would you say they mean?"
ROBIN: "Banana...Russian...I've got it! Someone Russian is going to slip on a banana peel and break their neck!"
BATMAN: "Precisely, Robin! The only...possible...meaning!"

Giving Batman and Robin a run for their money in the deadpan humor department is Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon. To him, each new outbreak of villainy is the gravest catastrophe and would spell certain doom for Gotham City save for the intervention of the Caped Crusaders. His constantly apprehensive expression and dead-serious line delivery are perfect. 

When it appears that Gotham's most foul enemies have become partners in crime, he's utterly crestfallen. "Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and now, Catwoman..." the commissioner solemnly intones. "The sum of the angles of that rectangle is too monstrous to contemplate!"

The bad guys, on the other hand, get to have all the fun. Back then, everyone wanted to play a super-foe on "Batman"--even Frank Sinatra tried to land a role--and people who hated or didn't "get" the show were astonished by the list of big-name guest stars lining up to be on it. Here, Latin romantic star Cesar Romero plays the treacherous trickster, the Joker, his trademark moustache covered in white greasepaint (he refused to shave it off!) 

Distinguished actor Burgess Meredith is delightful as the foul-feathered fiend, the Penguin, while well-known actor and impressionist Frank Gorshin goes nuts as the Riddler. Julie Newmar, who was busy filming something else at the time, is replaced here by the equally statuesque Lee Meriwether as the felonious feline, Catwoman. The scenes with all four of them together in their secret waterfront lair or in Penguin's submarine are sparked with manic intensity and unrestrained nuttiness as these actors get to ham it up without any of the usual restraints.

There's a story floating around somewhere, but it isn't really important. The villains kidnap a guy named Commodore Schmidlapp (Reginald Denny) in order to obtain his new invention that dehydrates people into powder so they can make off with a group of United World ambassadors and somehow end up ruling the world. Who cares? It's all just an excuse to have fun.

Highlights include: Batman on a rope ladder below the Batcopter with a rubber shark hanging from his leg ("Robin! Hand me down the Shark-Repellent Batspray!"); Batman scrambing all over the waterfront trying to find a safe place to discard a huge bomb he's carrying, but surrounded by nuns, mothers with baby carriages, and baby ducks ("Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!"); Batman scolding a Pentagon offical over the phone for selling a war surplus pre-atomic submarine to a Mr. "P.N. Guinn", who didn't even leave his full address; and a long sequence involving Batman's alter ego, millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, on a date with a Russian reporter named Miss Kitka, who is really Catwoman. 

Bruce becomes deliriously smitten with the lovely Miss Kitka, and the screen practically drips with romantic cliches that are played so relentlessly straight by Adam West that the result is almost excruciating.

Of course, since the TV series always featured a nail-biting cliffhanger every week, the movie is filled with certain-death situations for Batman and Robin. We also get to see the famous Bat-climb, and we're finally shown how Bruce Wayne and his youthful ward, Dick Grayson, always leap onto the Batpoles in their street clothes but end up at the bottom in full costume. ("An instant costume-change lever!" I remember thinking as a kid. "So that's how they do it!")

On the downside, the movie gets a bit draggy in spots, and the ending isn't exactly what I'd call a big pay-off. I've always been disappointed by the opening titles as well--no supercool "Batman Theme", no cartoon Batman and Robin POW-ing their way through a horde of evildoers. There's even a lame-joke foreword that betrays the mock seriousness of the whole concept. But most of the time, BATMAN:THE MOVIE is a colorful rush of nostalgic fun that raises pure, straight-faced Bat-silliness to a level rarely experienced by anyone who isn't huffing nitrous oxide. TO THE BATPOLES!

 

BATMAN: THE MOVIE (1966) -- Movie Review by Porfle

THE DARK KNIGHT -- DVD Review by Porfle

(First posted Dec. 17, 2008)

How dark should a "Batman" movie be? Some fans despise the Frank Miller-influenced take on the character that's become popular in recent years, especially after Tim Burton exorcised all of that jolly Adam West campiness once and for all back in '89. Others, like me, loved the Michael Keaton version of the caped crusader and were even happier to see director Christopher Nolan's BATMAN BEGINS take the subject to still greater heights of realism. Now, with Nolan's 2008 sequel THE DARK KNIGHT, Batman gets his darkest and most adult screen adventure yet, and--unless you prefer your Batman scurrying around on giant pennies with Robin and Bat-Mite--it's a complex and magnificent achievement.

The story opens with a Gotham City beseiged by a hornet's nest of gangland criminals stirred up by the Batman's tireless efforts to thwart their underworld enterprises. Desperate to stop him, they turn to the only person who seems crazy enough to take him on--The Joker, a mysterious, seemingly fearless psycho in clown makeup who lives to create as much chaos as possible. He also aims to prove that anyone is corruptible by taking on Gotham's dauntless new D.A., Harvey Dent, who rivals Batman as a crusader against crime. To do this, Joker plans to murder Dent's one true love, assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes, and place the blame on Batman and newly-appointed police commissioner James Gordon, thus twisting Dent himself into a vengeful agent of terror.

There's a lot of story packed into this film's 152-minute running time, perhaps even too much--it took me two or three viewings to get everything straight and fully appreciate all the twists and turns--but it's riveting. More than just a superhero flick, THE DARK KNIGHT is a top-notch crime drama that takes itself seriously in every respect, while also fully exploring the dimensions of each character. Mix all that with a series of breathtaking action sequences featuring Batman in some of his most dazzlingly audacious exploits ever, and the effect is nothing less than exhilarating.

The best thing about the action scenes in this movie is how much of it is done without CGI, using good old-fashioned stuntwork and practical effects instead of digital cartoon figures slugging it out. This is especially true of the film's central setpiece, in which Harvey Dent is being transferred to the county lock-up after publicly confessing that he is Batman. It's all a ruse, of course, to draw the Joker into the open, and it results in a no-holds-barred chase scene involving police and SWAT vans, a tractor-trailer rig, a garbage truck, and the Batmobile. At one point, Batman emerges from the wreckage of the Batmobile riding his new Batcycle (officially it's called the "Batpod", but I like Batcycle better), which you gotta see to believe. The Joker takes one look at this contraption careening out of an alleyway and remarks appreciatively, "Now THERE'S a Batman."

It's this admiration and respect for Batman that helps make the Joker character interesting. Heath Ledger doesn't act stereotypically evil as much as gleefully, insanely prankish, almost childlike at times, as though the Joker simply gets a thrill from messing things up and causing trouble, and rather than try to kill Batman, he finds him a delightfully fun playmate with whom to engage in deadly games. With little regard for self-preservation and a pronounced suicidal streak ("HIT ME!" he shrieks as the Batpod bears down upon him), he hurls himself into each harrowing situation with utter abandon. But he's incredibly dangerous, too, as evidenced by his explosive escape from police custody and his lethal dealings with Gotham's mob underworld.

Ledger's Oscar-worthy performance is amazing from start to finish, consistently fascinating and endlessly surprising. Some have said that the script gives him too many speeches explaining his behavior, as in his "I'm an agent of chaos" scene with a bedridden Harvey Dent, but I could listen to him all day. He's just plain fun to watch. People have mentioned detecting elements of Richard Dreyfuss or Jack Lemmon in his portrayal, while I thought I heard a little of Al Franken's "Stuart Smalley" in there as well. He's got that insane laugh down pat, too, but it isn't an affectation--he really comes off as a total loon.

The rest of the cast is awesome as well. There's Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman from the first film (that's a kickass lineup right there), with the addition of Aaron Eckhart (THE CORE) as Harvey Dent, who later morphs into the hideous Two-Face. Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over the role of Rachel Dawes and is effective in a non-glamorous, down-to-earth way. Cillian Murphy makes a brief return as the Scarecrow early on, and Anthony Michael Hall appears as Gotham's leading television newsman. A really pleasant surprise for me was the appearance of one of my all-time favorite actors, Eric Roberts, as the head of Gotham's criminal element, and it's great to see him in a high-profile role such as this. Likewise, I enjoyed seeing Tommy "Tiny" Lister, who appeared with Roberts in the classic RUNAWAY TRAIN, in a brief but pivotal role, as well as Melinda McGraw as Gordon's wife Barbara and William Fictner as a shotgun-wielding bank manager during the film's exciting opening sequence.

As you might expect, the movie looks and sounds great on DVD. The standard two-disc edition is a little light on extras, though. There are two brief featurettes, one covering the creation of the new Batsuit and Batpod, the other describing Hans Zimmer's musical themes for the Joker. Six sequences from the movie are presented in their IMAX aspect ratios. My favorite is the six-episode series of segments from a fictional news show, "Gotham Tonight", with Anthony Michael Hall's character interviewing various Gotham notables. Rounding out the selection are production stills, poster art, trailers, and a digital copy of the film.

In addition to these, the Blu-Ray edition includes the following:
Movie with Focus Points (picture in picture)
Batman Tech: The incredible gadgets and tools (in HD)
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight--Delve into the psyche of Bruce Wayne and the world of Batman through real-world psychotherapy (in HD)
Galleries: The Joker cards, concept art, poster art, production stills, trailers and TV spots.

THE DARK KNIGHT ends on a suitably dark note with the Batman on the run from the law, now a suspect in several murders and a pariah in Gotham City. Is this the traditionally downbeat middle chapter of a trilogy? In any case, the untimely death of Heath Ledger makes it a memorably unique cinematic experience that, regrettably, can never be reprised. But with just about everyone else on board for the following sequel--and not a trace of giant pennies or Robin in sight--I can't wait to see what Christopher Nolan has in store for us next.

THE DARK KNIGHT -- DVD Review by Porfle

Little Girl Extra Freaks Out In "The Adventures of Superman: The Monkey Mystery" (1952) (video)

Check out the little girl extra in this scene. 

She's going NUTS!

Let's hope we all live long enough to get that excited about something!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Little Girl Extra Freaks Out In "The Adventures of Superman: The Monkey Mystery" (1952) (video)

INCREDIBLY EVER AFTER -- Blu-Ray/DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 11/9/12

 

Mixing wuxia-style hijinks, superhero heroics, and screwball domestic comedy comes INCREDIBLY EVER AFTER, aka "Mr. and Mrs. Incredible" (2011), one of the more warm and sweet-tempered Chinese action flicks I've seen.

Unlike modern-day superhero adventures, the story takes place in ancient China after Mr. and Mrs. Incredible have already retired to a quiet life of marital bliss in a remote mountain village.  Flint (Louis Koo, TRIANGLE, PROTEGE'), the former "Gazer Warrior", is now head of the town guard--a job that requires practically zero effort--while his wife Rouge, the one-time "Aroma Woman", divides her time between domestic duties and trying to get pregnant despite the fact that civilian life has severely slowed her metabolism.

Enter the Bai Xiao Clan, whose job it is to sort out and rank the many different sects of Chinese martial arts and who have decided to hold a competition in the village.  While hoping the excitement of the event will stimulate Rouge's fertility, the super duo also begin to notice strange things about the young man in charge, Grandmaster Blanc (Wang Bo-Chieh), whose hidden agenda will force Flint and Rouge back into action in a life and death battle against evil.

Those expecting non-stop thrills and mind-bending excitement will very likely be disappointed in INCREDIBLY EVER AFTER, which for much of its running time is a gentle, low-key domestic comedy that's as laidback as its rural setting.  Much of the humor comes from Flint and Rouge trying to agitate themselves into a more fertile state by provoking one another to anger and jealousy, with their methods becoming more and more desperate and absurd.  (Their anger, however, never lasts long.)  We also get to see the lengths they must go to in order to hide their super powers from their neighbors--even something as simple as a sneeze can have drastic results.

The martial arts ranking competition provides unexpected slapstick humor as some of the different fighting styles prove laughably lame.  Flashbacks give us a peek at the former exploits of Gazer Warrior (his capture of the Pest Four during a bank holdup is a highlight) and Aroma Woman, who uses her olfactory powers to foil a domestic abuser.  Their meeting and subsequent love affair are delightfully depicted with plenty of lighthearted charm, as is their devious use of super powers in their everyday lives (especially to help persuade a real estate agent to lower the price of their seaside dream home).

Standard superhero action comes to the fore late in the film when Grandmaster Blanc finally makes his move and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible must don their legendary heroic guises once again.  Much of the action here is dominated by cartoonish CGI and has an absurd quality that's somewhat reminiscent of the Shaw Brothers' earlier HOLY FLAME OF THE MARTIAL WORLD or THE BATTLE WIZARD although not nearly as mindblowingly outlandish.  As in the rest of the film, the violence is mild and nothing is taken overly seriously, although there's a touching depth to the feelings expressed by our heroes for one another during their most desperate moments.

Vincent Kok (FORBIDDEN CITY COP) directs with a sure hand and deftly handles both the action and comedy elements.  Colorful, eye-pleasing visuals are enhanced by some nice location photography and sets.  The main draw here, however, is the pairing of Louis Koo and Sandra Ng Kwan Yue as one of the most appealing, endearing screen couples I've seen in a long time.  I love how, no matter what they do to agitate and provoke one another (all in their effort to conceive a child together), they simply can't stay mad at each other.

The Blu-Ray/DVD combo from Funimation is in 16x9 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 Cantonese surround sound and English subtitles.  Extras consist of four different trailers (containing new material) and previews of other Funimation titles.  The closing credits crawl features bloopers from the film.

I've seen comments pointing out the lack of action (except in the final fifteen minutes of so) and the similarities between this and Pixar's THE INCREDIBLES.  But as far as I'm concerned, the almost effortlessly charming INCREDIBLY EVER AFTER is simply too much of a sheer delight to complain about. 

INCREDIBLY EVER AFTER -- Blu-Ray/DVD Review by Porfle

HANCOCK -- Movie Review by Porfle

(NOTE: This review was written during the film's initial theatrical run and originally posted on 9/3/11.)


HANCOCK (2008), this year's big-budget 4th of July offering from Will Smith to his fans, is neither as much fun as MEN IN BLACK or INDEPENDENCE DAY, nor as horrible as WILD, WILD WEST.   It sorta bounces around between those two extremes, entertaining me for a few moments here and there before lapsing into passages that had me not really caring whether or not I even finished watching the whole disappointing thing.

Hancock (Smith) is a surly, alcoholic bum whom we find sleeping on a sidewalk bench as the movie opens.  But when he's told that there's a van full of heavily-armed criminals in a high-speed pursuit on the freeway, he grabs his bottle of cheap booze and drunkenly flies to the scene.  While he succeeds in stopping the bad guys, his crude, haphazard methods also cause millions of dollars worth of damage and public outrage. 

Later, when kindhearted, green-livin' public relations man Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) finds himself stuck on the tracks with a freight train bearing down on him, Hancock flings his car away and stops the train cold, causing--you guessed it--millions of dollars worth of damage.  Unlike Superman, this sad-sack superhero just doesn't bother to think his heroic deeds through before wading into action.  However, the grateful Ray invites Hancock home to dinner to meet his lovely wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and admiring son Aaron (Jae Head), and to give Hancock some pointers on how to improve his public image and more efficiently use his super powers without leaving such wanton destruction and negative publicity in his wake.



The superhero stuff, of course, is what makes HANCOCK intermittently entertaining.  It's fun to watch this comic variation of the Bruce Willis character in UNBREAKABLE blundering his way into tense situations and handling them in the most egregious, irresponsible ways possible.  It's also exciting and funny when, after finally donning the superhero costume Ray gives him and following some of his helpful advice, Hancock polishes his image by heroically saving the day when a group of ruthless bank robbers with hostages wired to explode begin shooting up a whole city block. 

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't really know what to do with itself when fun things like this aren't happening.  An earlier sequence which finds Hancock in prison for his misdeeds doesn't really go anywhere, and one particular scene in which he inserts a convict's head into another convict's ass, aside from being rather juvenile, is downright farcical.  I might accept such gross absurdity in a MEN IN BLACK-type live-action cartoon (maybe), but HANCOCK also wants to turn all heartrending and semi-realistic before it's through.  It's almost like a collision between "Heroes" and POLICE ACADEMY. 

A surprise plot-twist that occurs shortly before the halfway mark leads to vague, mystical revelations about Hancock's HIGHLANDER-esque past and some increasingly straight-faced melodrama.  It also results in a superhero battle right out of the tiresome Neo vs. Agent Smith showdown in MATRIX:REVOLUTIONS (complete with half-baked CGI weather effects slathered on for no good reason), by way of SUPERMAN II, with the sort of supercharged personal conflicts that are better suited to an X-MEN story.  To make up for the fact that there's no super-villain, we also get a bland trio of regular criminals out for revenge against our hero, but they end up serving merely as a plot contrivance.



Thank goodness, Will Smith is good enough to finesse his way through it all without much trouble.  Charlize Theron is also effective as Mary, mainly because her character is pretty consistently serious throughout, although she has her share of absurd moments. I was surprised when the closing credits revealed that Ray Embrey was played by Justin Bateman--wow, I thought he was still a teenager or something.  Anyway, he does a good job of making Ray warm, likable, and funny.  As Ray and Mary's son, Aaron, Jae Head has an appealingly natural quality.  Nancy Grace appears as herself in an unwelcome cameo.

Most of the special effects are pretty good, especially in the opening freeway chase, the train rescue, and the bank robbery sequence.  But then there's that hinky, cartoonish CGI that takes me out of the movie every time.  When multiple tornados and other weather anomalies descend upon the city during the big battle scene, it's just plain crummy-looking.  Really, this kind of stuff needs considerable refinement if filmmakers are going to continue relying on it so much.  Worse, Peter Berg's direction of the quieter scenes is clumsy, and the poor cinematography and editing often make the movie look much cheaper than it is. 

HANCOCK has its crowd-pleasing moments of big summer fun, but they're scattered within an inconsistent hodgepodge of comic book superheroics, somber pathos, and outlandish farce.  Although the ending tries to evoke stirring memories of SPIDERMAN, Tim Burton's BATMAN, and, surprisingly, DAREDEVIL, I found my interest in this particular tale waning long before any hopes for a sequel.  Not only did I not walk out of the theater eager for the impending DVD release, but the main image from the movie that lingered in my mind--regrettably--was that of a guy with his head rammed up another guy's ass.

HANCOCK -- Movie Review by Porfle

Did Superman Really Duck When An Empty Gun Was Thrown At Him? (video)

 In "The Mind Machine" (S1/E8) bullets don't faze Superman.

But when the bad guy throws his gun...

Later, though, in "Czar of the Underworld" (S1/E22), not only does he NOT duck...

...he even seems to enjoy it!

 

Originally posted on 7/13/18

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Did Superman Really Duck When An Empty Gun Was Thrown At Him? (video)

STEEL -- DVD review by porfle

 

Originally posted on 4/25/10

 

I'd heard that STEEL (1997) was pretty bad, so of course I couldn't wait to see it. Would it be fun-bad or just bad-bad? Or, as sometimes happens, would I be one of the few people who, in my own insane sort of way, actually thinks it's good? Don't forget, I liked STAN HELSING.

Well, okay--I just got through watching this movie, and I didn't think it was good. In fact, it's not only stupid, it's the champagne of stupid. However, this has got to be one of the most entertaining bad-superhero movies ever made. First of all, it's got lovable lug Shaquille O'Neal as the superhero, and he can't act. That's worth a whole bunch of fun points right there. Second, Shaquille wears a homemade steel suit of armor that makes him look like a giant cockroach, and I never get tired of watching him bop around in it like a big clumsy kid. When he shoots a grappling line out of his wrist band and all two tons of him get reeled up into the air, it's almost surreal. Third--and this is important--it's got the one and only Judd Nelson as the over-the-top evil villain. Scoooore!

Loosely based on the DC Comics character, John Henry Irons is an Army officer who designs top secret weapons but becomes disenchanted with his job when a fellow officer, Susan Sparks (Annabeth Gish), is crippled during a demonstration for a visiting senator. The mishap is caused by Nathaniel Burke (Judd Nelson), an ambitious officer seeking wealth and glory. When they're discharged from the Army, John Henry goes to work in a steel mill and lives with his grandma, while Burke takes over an illegal weapons business and starts selling top secret arms to terrorists.

Using local gang members in a heavily-armed Humvee, Burke begins a city-wide crimewave that prompts John Henry into action. With a wheelchair-bound Sparks at the keyboard of his junkyard nerve center and his uncle Joe (Richard Roundtree) providing the junkyard, "Steel" suits up and goes into the amateur superhero business. He has a bit of trouble maintaining his secret identity, however, since there aren't that many 7'1" black guys running around the neighborhood, and it isn't long before Burke targets his family. Steel tracks Burke down to a warehouse where he's conducting business with terrorists from around the world, but is ambushed and powerless to act when Sparks and his teenage brother Martin (Ray J.) are held hostage.


STEEL was made in 1997, but it looks an awful lot like one of those 70s-era superhero movies that came out before Hollywood learned how to make superhero movies that didn't suck. Kenneth Johnson, creator of such television series as "The Incredible Hulk" and "Six Million Dollar Man", directs in the same pedestrian style as one of those shows except with a much bigger budget to throw away. In other words, it's like a wonderfully elaborate but crappy TV show episode.

Some of the effects are okay, such as the sonic cannon that blasts things with amplified sound waves, and the grand finale is so packed with explosions that things I didn't even know could explode were blowing up all over the place. Not so impressive, however, is Steel's magnetic suit capability--when guns, knives, and trashcan lids start flying at him and sticking to his suit, it looks like something out of a Warner Brothers cartoon.

Shaq looks a little weird tooling around on his motorcycle, too, since his bulk makes it look like a minibike. One of the goofiest things about the movie, however, has got to be Steel's junkyard lair, with a scrap heap secret entrance that opens up so he can scoot in and elude the police.

The dialogue tries to be clever but rarely rises above the level of this remark from Burke to one of his young lackeys: "Eat the hot dog. Don't BE the hot dog." (Now that's some useful advice!) Richard Roundtree gets to remind us of past glories when he admires Steel's gadget-filled hammer--he especially likes (you guessed it) the "shaft." Later, he reacts to a surprising development by uttering the classic line, "Well, I'll be dipped in shit and rolled in bread crumbs." Grandma (Irma P. Hall) funnies things up with her attempts to open up a restaurant called Black and Bleu, featuring recipes combining fancy French cuisine with soul food. In one running gag, her special hominy souffle' keeps falling because her big old grandson keeps makin' too much noise around the house.

Judd Nelson is at his wonderful worst as Burke and is a joy to watch, coolly dispatching a rival coworker (the stunning Claire Stansfield, who played the Jersey Devil on "The X-Files") in an elevator "accident" or hawking super-weapons to terrorists as though he were in a lethal infomercial. Annabeth Gish hits what is probably a career low here but is likable as Sparks, while Richard Roundtree seems to enjoy playing the old geezer role. Other familiar faces that crop up here and there belong to the likes of Charles Napier, Rutanya Alda, Kerrie Keane, and Gary Graham.

The DVD, part of the Warner Archive Collection, is in 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital, and image and sound are good. The only extra here is a trailer.

STEEL is definitely as bad as I've always heard, but I had fun groaning at the funny parts, laughing at the dramatic parts, and marveling at how flat-out cheesy it all was. It's consistently entertaining in spite of itself, and, best of all, it isn't boring. So if you're a junk film junkie like me, check it out! If not...you should probably watch something else.

 

 

STEEL -- DVD review by porfle

ANT-MAN -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

(This review was originally posted during the film's first theatrical run.)

 

So, my electricity went off yesterday and, with the temperature inching toward a toasty 100 degrees, I decided to go to the movies for the first time since 2009 (STAR TREK) and see the new Marvel universe superhero flick, ANT-MAN (2015).  Not only was it my first big-screen movie in six years, but it was also my first modern 3D flick ever, which was an added thrill. 

Being somewhat hard-of-hearing and dependent on subtitles when watching TV, I missed out on some of the dialogue details.  But it's a very visual film and I was somewhat familiar with the old "Ant-Man" comics anyway, so it didn't matter all that much, even though the novelty of the 3D kept taking me out of the movie while I sat there noticing how cool everything looked with each new shot. 

Michael Douglas (SOLITARY MAN, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT) plays Dr. Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man, as an older gentleman who has locked his special shrinking suit away for fear of its falling into the wrong hands.  But his former protege, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll, THE BOURNE LEGACY), Mr Wrong-Hands himself, is close to duplicating Pym's shrinking mechanism for less-than-noble purposes.  This unscrupulous young business tycoon even uses a faulty hand-held version to turn certain people he doesn't like into blobs of reddish tissue. (Blecch!)

Meanwhile, ace cat-burglar Scott Lang (Paul Rudd, OUR IDIOT BROTHER, THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN) has just served prison time for a politically-motivated crime and is now trying to find employment so that he can pay his child support and visit his cute little daughter Cassie.  Desperate, he ends up taking his friend Luis (Michael Peña, WORLD TRADE CENTER, "Ponch" in the upcoming "CHiPs" movie) up on a job offer to steal something very valuable from some rich guy's practically-impregnable basement safe.  It turns out to be the Ant-Man suit.  Scott takes it home, tries it on, and...suddenly he's the new Ant-Man!

Or he will be when Dr. Pym convinces him that he's the right guy for the job of breaking into the heavily-guarded Cross-Tech fortress, sabotaging Darren Cross' shrink-machine research, and stealing the Yellowjacket power suit that he's working on.  Thus follows a rigorous training montage with Scott learning how to use all the wonderful features of his suit and also how to communicate with actual ants so the helpful li'l buggers can aid him in his efforts.  Which pretty much sets up the rest of the movie.

Paul Rudd is just right when it comes to balancing the serious and comedic aspects of his role as a reluctant hero.  He really sells the heart-tugging scenes between Scott and Cassie (the very cute Abby Ryder Fortson) and conveys the frustration of dealing with his ex-wife Maggie (Judy Greer, JURASSIC WORLD) and her cop boyfriend Paxton (Bobby Cannavale, 10 ITEMS OR LESS) while still maintaining a wry attitude throughout.

Much of the all-out comedy is handled by Scott's excitable roommate Luis--a nice guy who just happens to be a thief--and two of Luis' like-minded associates, Kurt (David Dastmalchian, the Joker henchman whom Harvey Dent interrogates in THE DARK KNIGHT) and Dave (T.I, GET HARD). These guys turn out to be useful enough during the film's climactic siege on Cross-Tech but bumbling enough to keep it funny.  

Now that we've seen Scott's extensive training in the ant suit, including martial arts sessions with Pym's daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly, THE HOBBIT, "Lost"), we're chomping at the bit to see him in action.  After an early clash with the Falcon (Anthony Mackie) outside Stark Industries, things finally click into high gear when the good guys all converge on Cross-Tech for the big finale which will end with a thrilling battle between Ant-Man and the fearsome Yellowjacket. 

Thanks mainly to Douglas and Lilly as a father and daughter who are both still grieving over the late Mrs. Pym, who died "in action" during a superheroic exploit as The Wasp, there's adequate heft to the film's more emotional aspects.  Michael Douglas is reminding me more of his dad all the time, which is a good thing, and lends real authority to his role.  The lovely and likable Evangeline Lilly, meanwhile, is a real prize here, and I look forward to her possibly taking over as The Wasp in the future.

Director Peyton Reed (DOWN WITH LOVE, BRING IT ON) has done very little that I've seen besides location segments for "Mr. Show" but seems to have a handle on this superhero stuff.  The film is constantly dazzling to look at, with tons of CGI that looks artificial but still has a pleasing degree of comic-book believability.  (Note: keep watching for not one but two "sting" scenes during the final credits.)

It's thrilling to see Ant-Man running or flying bareback on his trusty ant-steed Anthony along with thousands of other ants through underground tunnels, sewers, and other seemingly vast spaces.  The final battle with Yellowjacket uses everyday objects such as toy trains (Thomas the Tank Engine makes a nifty guest appearance) and bug zappers to tremendously good effect. 

All in all, I was quite pleased with my big day out yesterday which was highlighted by the very fun, very enjoyable ANT-MAN (in 3D, no less!)  It isn't a "great" movie by any means, but it does all sorts of fun stuff with "good."

ANT-MAN -- Movie Review by Porfle

SPACE GHOST (1966-1968) -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

 

Originally posted on 1/30/22

 

 

Currently watching: the complete DVD collection of one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons as a kid, SPACE GHOST (1966-1968). 

 

(Full DVD title: "Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series" from the Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection. 20 episodes on 3 discs, 42 7-minute Space Ghost segments in all. Bonus feature is a movie-length documentary, "Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth.")

 

I love Cartoon Network's later comedy reworking of the character in his own talk show called "Space Ghost Coast To Coast", but that takes nothing away from my feeling for the original action-adventure space opera designed by comics legend Alex Toth. 

 

 

 

It was only Hanna-Barbera's second adventure cartoon after "Jonny Quest", and their first superhero series. "Laugh-In" star Gary Owen did the voice for Space Ghost, and his teen sidekicks Jan and Jace were voiced by Ginny Tyler and Tim Matheson. 

 

Other voice talent includes Ted Cassidy as Metallus, Vic Perrin as Creature King, Alan Reed as Glasstor, Keye Luke as Brak, Paul Frees as Brago, and Don Messick as Blip, Space Ghost's cute monkey companion who often gets him and the kids out of trouble.

 

Alex Toth's character designs and layouts are eye-pleasing, and the show was done while Hanna-Barbera were still doing quality animated shows. The music is great, too. 

 

 

 

The secondary "Dino Boy" segments don't do anything for me--I don't even remember bothering to watch them when originally aired. 

 

Super villains Zorak, Moltar, and Brak would later become regulars on the talk show, along with occasional appearances by Metallus, Tansit, Lokar, and Black Widow. It's fun seeing them play it straight as they do here in their introductory appearances.

 

Space Ghost, whose subterranean laboratory can be found on the Ghost Planet, is sort of an interplanetary policeman whose main powers are supplied by his power bands, which are worn on his wrists, and his inviso-belt. 

 

 

 

Jan and Jace alert him of suspicious activity while on patrol in their scout ship and often get captured by the bad guys so that Space Ghost must fly to their rescue in his spaceship, the Phantom Cruiser. 

 

The stories are flashy and colorful, with lots of explosions, and are kept very simple and formulaic so that they can be easily followed by younger viewers.

 

As far as light entertainment with a strong sense of nostalgia goes, I just love this kind of stuff.

 

 

SPACE GHOST (1966-1968) -- DVD Review by Porfle

ZEBRAMAN 2: ATTACK ON ZEBRA CITY -- DVD review by porfle

Originally posted on 11/13/11

 

If you ever wondered what a cross between Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT and Joel Schumacher's BATMAN AND ROBIN might look like, Takashi Miike's ZEBRAMAN 2: ATTACK ON ZEBRA CITY (2010) might come pretty close.  Combining serious dramatic elements with the usual cheeseball stuff found in the more juvenile Japanese superhero adventures (but done on a lavish budget), it's an insanely deadpan seriocomic fantasy romp that works like a charm on both levels.

In the original 2004 film, a mild-mannered school teacher named Andrew Kim (Show Aikawa) assumed the identity of failed TV superhero Zebraman to stop an alien invasion and ended up temporarily gaining his superpowers for real.  Here, he's captured by the evil Kozo Aihara (Guadalcanal Taka) and placed in a centrifuge chamber which splits his good and bad sides into separate entities.  Good Kim now has white hair and amnesia, while his evil half is a black-haired female whom Kozo names Yui and adopts as his daughter.

Fifteen years later, Kim awakens to find himself in a Tokyo that's been renamed Zebra City and is now run by Kozo, with Yui keeping the masses in line as super-sexy pop star Zebra Queen.  Twice a day for five minutes," Zebra Time" allows the skull-faced police force to legally kill anyone, so a wounded Kim ends up in the care of his former pupil Asano, a male nurse devoted to helping Zebra Time survivors.  One of Asano's patients is a little girl, Sumire, still possessed by one of the previous film's aliens, and when Kim comes into contact with her his memory is restored along with his Zebraman powers.  With Kozo and Yui planning to spread Zebra Time throughout the rest of the world, Zebraman must leap into action once again to stop them, confronting his own dark side in the bargain.



First of all, the seriously cute Riisa Naka as Yui is awesome.  She inhabits her character with a vigorous enthusiasm and is wildly flamboyant in her actions and evil facial expressions, not to mention the way she throws herself into the song-and-dance stuff in Zebra Queen's music videos.  Literally the embodiment of evil, her Zebra Queen is stunning to look at and exciting in her evolution from simple bad girl into superpowered villainess reveling in chaos and destruction. 

For me, the film's most effective straight dramatic scene comes when she turns against Kozo in the back of their limosine as smitten lackey Niimi (Tsuyoshi Abe) looks on in wry admiration.  The way Miike builds to this key point in the story, along with the cunningly subtle but menacing musical score and the malevolent glee Naka conveys during Yui's violent outburst, add up to a powerful and rewindable moment.

With all the DARK KNIGHT seriousness with which Kim, Asano, and the rest of the good guys treat the character of Zebraman and his quest to wrest Tokyo from the depths of corruption, the outrageous comedy and over-the-top fantasy elements take on an added richness.  Zebraman's heroic comic-book exploits during the numerous fight scenes are a heady blend of undiluted cheese (including the usual hokey wirework, corny dialogue, etc.) with dazzling design and production values. 

When Zebra Queen unleashes one of the gelatinous green aliens from the first film on Zebra City and it grows to Godzilla-like proportions, leveling skyscrapers and incinerating city blocks with its heat breath, the stage is set for an epic battle brimming with mind-boggling visuals that are rendered with some top-notch CGI work.  Even the most lowbrow sight gags--as when the mammoth alien repels Zebra Queen with a noxious hurricane fart--are treated as high drama, as is the incredibly ridiculous final solution employed by Zebraman against the creature.



Show Aikawa's performance as the befuddled everyman who becomes the grimly-determined and supremely confident Zebraman is right on the money throughout, with the rest of the cast in top form as well.  Much fun is had with Naoki Tanaka's character of Ichiba, who played the title role in a "Zebraman" TV series and fancies himself a match for the real-life bad guys when the trouble begins.  Talented child actress Mei Nagano adds to the film's genuine emotional depth as the alien-possessed Sumire.  Guadalcanal Taka as the comically vile Kozo is especially good in the "creation" sequence, cavorting about his cavernous, Giger-inspired mad laboratory like a crazed Dr. Frankenstein.

The DVD from Funimation is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 Japanese soundtrack and English subtitles.  Extras on Disc 2 include the in-depth (almost 90 minutes long) documentary "The Making of 'Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City'", "The Making of 'Zebra Queen's Theme' Music Video", five cast and crew interviews, and original trailers and commercials for the film.  (The film comes as a 3-disc Blu-Ray/DVD combo--this review is for the DVD and its extras only.)

Takashi Miike and scriptwriter Kankurô Kudô have created a fascinating dystopian future whose comedic touches make it no less effective as scintillating sci-fi.  While the unabashedly bizarre nature of ZEBRAMAN 2: ATTACK ON ZEBRA CITY will no doubt put off many viewers, those open to such freewheeling weirdness may find it akin to plunging their hands into a cinematic treasure chest and coming up with fistfuls of pure, glittering fun.

ZEBRAMAN 2: ATTACK ON ZEBRA CITY -- DVD review by porfle

Suit Up For The Action-Packed Release of DC's "DC’S STARGIRL: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON" on Blu-ray & DVD 2/8/22

 

Conquer the Darkness

"DC’S STARGIRL: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON"

Contains All 13 Action-Packed Episodes from the Second Season, Plus Gag Reel!

The Epic Battle Is Unveiled February 8, 2022 With the Release of the Blu-ray™ & DVD

BURBANK, CA (November 16, 2021) – It’s time to suit up and get ready to face the darkness with the release of DC’s Stargirl: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray and DVD on February 8, 2022 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Prepare to shine with an exhilarating ride with all 13 episodes from the second season plus a featurette, and gag reel. DC’s Stargirl: The Complete Second Season is priced to own at $24.98 SRP ($29.98 in Canada) for the DVD and $29.98 SRP ($39.99 in Canada) for the Blu-ray, which includes a Digital Copy (US Only). DC’s Stargirl: The Complete Second Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

DC’s Stargirl follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) and her stepfather Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) as she leads an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DC’s very first Super Hero team, the Justice Society of America. In the thrilling second season, Courtney and her friends take on one of the most frightening adversaries in DC’s mythology – the dark entity of corruption known as Eclipso (Nick Tarabay).

With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, DC’s Stargirl: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. Featuring all 13 episodes from the second season in high definition, as well as a digital code of the season (available in the U.S. only). 

DC’s Stargirl stars Brec Bassinger (Bella & the Bulldogs, All Night), Yvette Monreal (Rambo: Last Blood, Faking It), Anjelika Washington (Tall Girl, Young Sheldon), Cameron Gellman (Heathers, 20th Century Women), Trae Romano (Robbie, 555), Hunter Sansone (Safety), Meg DeLacy (The Fosters) and Nick Tarabay (Spartacus), with Amy Smart (Just Friends, The Butterfly Effect) and Luke Wilson (Old School, Roadies). Jonathan Cake (Chuck) has a recurring role as Richard Swift aka The Shade. 

Based on the DC characters and created for television by Geoff Johns, DC’s Stargirl is produced by Berlanti Productions and Mad Ghost Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television with Geoff Johns (Titans, Wonder Woman), Greg Berlanti (Batwoman, The Flash, Supergirl), and Sarah Schechter (Riverdale, All American, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) serving as executive producers.

BLU-RAY AND DVD FEATURES

    Gag Reel (Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD)
    Never Alone: Heroes and Allies

 

13 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

    Summer School: Chapter One
    Summer School: Chapter Two
    Summer School: Chapter Three
    Summer School: Chapter Four
    Summer School: Chapter Five
    Summer School: Chapter Six
    Summer School: Chapter Seven
    Summer School: Chapter Eight
    Summer School: Chapter Nine
    Summer School: Chapter Ten
    Summer School: Chapter Eleven
    Summer School: Chapter Twelve
    Summer School: Chapter Thirteen


 

DIGITAL

DC’s Stargirl: The Complete Second Season is currently available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and others.


BASICS

Street Date: February 8, 2022

Order Due Date: December 18, 2021

BD and DVD Presented in 16x9 widescreen format

Running Time: Feature: Approx. 9 Hours 32 Minutes

Enhanced Content: Approx. 28 min


DVD

Price: $24.98 (29.98 in Canada)

3 Discs (3 DVD-9s)

Audio - English (5.1)

Subtitles - English SDH


BLU-RAY

Price: $29.98 SRP ($39.99 in Canada)

3-Discs (3 BD-50s)

Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English

BD Subtitles – English SDH

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's physical and digital distribution businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

 

About DC

DC, a WarnerMedia Company, creates iconic characters, enduring stories, and immersive experiences that inspire and entertain audiences of every generation around the world and is one of the world’s largest publishers of comics and graphic novels. As a creative division, DC is charged with strategically integrating its stories and characters across film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, interactive games, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE digital subscription service and community engagement portal. For more information visit dccomics.com and dcuniverseinfinite.com.

 

DC's STARGIRL and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC.

Suit Up For The Action-Packed Release of DC's "DC’S STARGIRL: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON" on Blu-ray & DVD 2/8/22

DCFanDome Surprised Fans Today With A "Smallville" 20th Anniversary Celebration

 

#DCFanDome surprised fans today with a #Smallville 20th Anniversary Celebration featuring a conversation with Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum.

The full conversation with even more behind the scenes stories can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/W6IyPPkoRLY

"Smallville: The Complete Series 20th Anniversary Edition" is coming to Blu-ray for the first-time ever on October 19th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

About Smallville The Complete Series 20th Anniversary Edition:

The groundbreaking, Emmy®-winning 10-season hit that redefined the origins of the world’s greatest super hero is all here – from Krypton refugee Kal-El’s arrival on Earth through his tumultuous teen years to Clark Kent’s final steps toward embracing his destiny as the Man of Steel. Relive a decade’s worth of thrills in fantastic adventures full of action, heart and humor in abundance, all anchored by the marvelous performance of Tom Welling at its center. Savor again the series’ thoughtful and imaginative integration and reinvention of the iconic characters of DC lore. And let your spirits be lifted up, up and away.

Starring Tom Welling as “Clark Kent,” Allison Mack as “Chloe Sullivan,” Kristin Kreuk as “Lana Lang,” Michael Rosenbaum as “Lex Luthor,” John Glover as “Lionel Luthor,” Erica Durance as “Lois Lane,” Annette O’Toole as “Martha Kent,” John Schneider as “Jonathan Kent,” Justin Hartley as “Oliver Queen,” Sam Jones III as “Pete Ross,” Cassidy Freeman as “Tess Mercer,” Aaron Ashmore as “Jimmy Olsen,” Eric Johnson as “Whitney Fordman,” Laura Vandervoort as “Kara,” Callum Blue as “Zod,” Jensen Ackles as “Jason Teague” and Sam Witwer as “Davis Bloome." 

Smallville has also featured many notable guest stars including Terence Stamp, James Marsters, Michael McKean, Ian Somerhalder, Jane Seymour, Brian Austin Green, Pam Grier, Helen Slater, Michael Ironside, Julian Sands, Tori Spelling, Rutger Hauer and Christopher Reeve. 

Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Based on DC Comics characters, Smallville was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar. Its executive producers have included Michael Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, James Marshall, Brian Peterson, Kelly Souders, Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Greg Beeman, Ken Horton and Tom Welling. The series is from Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television.

Smallville: The Complete Series 20th Anniversary Edition includes 2 DVD discs with over 28 hours of bonus features originally released on the Smallville Seasons 1-10 DVD sets.  

DCFanDome Surprised Fans Today With A "Smallville" 20th Anniversary Celebration

Just Announced - "DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season" - Time Jump to November 9 to Own the Blu-Ray & DVD

 

Space.  Oddity.
 
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season
 
Time Jump to November 9, 2021
To Own the Blu-Ray™ and DVD

BURBANK, CA (August 17, 2021) – Your favorite Super Heroes are back, and this time, they’re out of this world! The fate of the universe is in their hands as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season on Blu-ray and DVD on November 9, 2021. 

Buckle up for a wild ride with all 15 rollicking one-hour episodes from the sixth season, plus enjoy the epic extra content including several featurettes, deleted scenes and a gag reel. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season is priced to own at $24.98 SRP for the DVD ($29.98 in Canada) and $29.98 SRP for the Blu-ray ($39.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. Only). DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

Having spent last season trying to track down the Loom of Fate, the Legends must now save history from a foe like none they’ve encountered in the past or future. The timeship Waverider’s crew have dealt with monsters, time anomalies, and most recently, villains from Hell, but this season they will face something even more challenging and bizarre ... space aliens!

With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. Featuring all 15 episodes from the sixth season in high definition, as well as a digital code of the season (available in the U.S. only).

Joined by new cast member Lisseth Chavez (Chicago P.D.), DC's Legends of Tomorrow stars Caity Lotz (Arrow, Mad Men), Tala Ashe (Smash, The Carrie Diaries), Jes Macallan (Mistresses, Shameless), Olivia Swann (Doctors), Adam Tsekhman (The Twilight Zone), Shayan Sobhian (Killer Caregiver) and Amy Louise Pemberton (Arrow, Suspense), with Nick Zano (What I Like About You), Dominic Purcell (Prison Break, The Flash), and Matt Ryan (Constantine) returning as their characters from previous seasons. Based on the DC characters, DC's Legends of Tomorrow is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Batwoman, The Flash, Supergirl, Black Lightning, Riverdale), Phil Klemmer (Chuck, Political Animals), Keto Shimizu (Arrow), Grainne Godfree (The Flash, Arrow) and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Black Lightning, Riverdale).

BLU-RAY & DVD FEATURES

    Gag Reel (Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD)
    Deleted Scenes (Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD)
    Never Alone: Heroes and Allies
    VFX Creature Feature
    Animation Split Screen
    Actors Split Screen


15 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

    Ground Control to Sara Lance
    Meat: The Legends
    The Ex-Factor
    Bay of Squids
    The Satanist's Apprentice
    Bishop’s Gambit
    Back to the Finale Part II
    Stressed Western
    This is Gus
    Bad Blood
    The Final Frame
    Bored on Board Onboard
    Silence of the Sonograms
    There Will Be Brood
    The Fungus Among Us


DIGITAL
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season is available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and others.

BASICS
Street Date: November 9, 2021
Order Due Date: September 28, 2021
BD and DVD Presented in 16x9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx. 900 min
Enhanced Content: Approx. 70 min

DVD
Price: $24.98 SRP ($29.98 in Canada)
3-Discs (3 DVD-9s)
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – English SDH

BLU-RAY
Price: $29.98 SRP ($39.99 in Canada)
3-Discs (3 BD-50s)
Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English
BD Subtitles – English SDH

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's physical and digital distribution businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

About DC
DC, a WarnerMedia Company, creates iconic characters, enduring stories, and immersive experiences that inspire and entertain audiences of every generation around the world and is one of the world’s largest publishers of comics and graphic novels. As a creative division, DC is charged with strategically integrating its stories and characters across film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, interactive games, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE digital subscription service and community engagement portal. For more information visit dccomics.com and dcuniverseinfinite.com.
 
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. 

Just Announced - "DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Sixth Season" - Time Jump to November 9 to Own the Blu-Ray & DVD

Just Announced - Get Ready To Speed-Watch "THE FLASH: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON" On Blu-ray & DVD 10/12/21

 

The CW’s #1 Series

"THE FLASH: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON"

Contains All 18 Electrifying Episodes From the Seventh Season, Plus Never-Before-Seen Bonus Features
 
Own the Blu-ray™ & DVD October 12, 2021

BURBANK, CA (July 29, 2021) – It’s time to escape the Mirrorverse, resurrect the Speed Force and make every second count! The Flash is back to protect Central City with his lightning-fast reflexes – and fans will be zooming in to pick up the highest-rated series on The CW – as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases The Flash: The Complete Seventh Season on Blu-ray and DVD on October 12, 2021. 

Speed-watch all 18 riveting episodes from season seven, plus never-before-seen bonus content including deleted scenes and a gag reel. The Flash: The Complete Seventh Season is priced to own at $39.99 SRP for the DVD ($44.98 in Canada) and $44.98 SRP for the Blu-ray ($49.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. only). The Flash: The Complete Seventh Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

After last season’s cliffhanger which saw the brilliant and powerful Eva McCulloch victorious and still-at-large in Central City, Barry Allen/The Flash must regroup in order to stop her and bring back his missing wife. 

With help from the rest of Team Flash, Barry will ultimately defeat Mirror Monarch and reunite with Iris West-Allen. But in doing so, he’ll unleash two more devastating threats: one that could tear his marriage apart… and another that will lay siege to Central City and change the future forever.

With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, The Flash: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. Featuring all 18 episodes from the seventh season in high definition, as well as a digital code of the season (available in the U.S. only).
 
The Flash stars Grant Gustin (Arrow, Glee), Candice Patton (The Game), Danielle Panabaker (Sky High, Friday the 13th), Carlos Valdes (Arrow, Once), Danielle Nicolet (Central Intelligence), Kayla Compton (Making Moves), Brandon McKnight (The Shape of Water) and Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order). 

Based on the characters from DC, The Flash is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Riverdale), Eric Wallace (Teen Wolf, Z Nation, Eureka), Sarah Schechter (Batwoman, Riverdale, Black Lightning, Supergirl) and Jonathan Butler & Gabriel Garza (Bella and the Bulldogs).

SPECIAL FEATURES

    Deleted Scenes (Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD)
    Gag Reel (Exclusive to Blu-ray and DVD)
    The Journey Ends: Carlos and Tom
    Never Alone: Heroes and Allies
    2020 DC FanDome: The Flash (Watchverse)


18 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

    All's Wells That Ends Wells
    The Speed of Thought
    Mother
    Central City Strong
    Fear Me
    The One with the Nineties
    Growing Pains
    The People vs. Killer Frost
    Timeless
    Family Matters, Part 1
    Family Matters, Part 2
    Good-Bye Vibrations
    Masquerade
    Rayo De Luz
    Enemy at the Gates
    P.O.W.
    Heart of the Matter, Part 1
    Heart of the Matter, Part 2


DIGITAL
The Flash: The Complete Seventh Season is available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and others.

BASICS
Street Date: October 12, 2021
Order Due Date: August 31, 2020
BD and DVD Presented in 16x9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx 792 min

DVD
Price: $39.99 SRP ($44.98 in Canada)
4-Discs (4 DVD-9s)
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – English SDH

BLU-RAY
Price: $44.98 SRP ($49.99 in Canada)
3-Discs (3 BD-50s)
Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English
BD Subtitles – English SDH

 
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's physical and digital distribution businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
 
About DC
DC, a WarnerMedia Company, creates iconic characters, enduring stories, and immersive experiences that inspire and entertain audiences of every generation around the world and is one of the world’s largest publishers of comics and graphic novels. As a creative division, DC is charged with strategically integrating its stories and characters across film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, interactive games, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE digital subscription service and community engagement portal. For more information visit dccomics.com and dcuniverseinfinite.com.
 
 
THE FLASH and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC.

Just Announced - Get Ready To Speed-Watch "THE FLASH: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON" On Blu-ray & DVD 10/12/21