GHOST IN THE SHELL 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Blu-ray Materializes September 30th from Anchor Bay Entertainment

"Mind-blowing Hard Science Fiction that live action has yet to match."
-- Harry Knowles, AICN

25 years ago, a breathtaking leap in the history of animation stunned and amazed audiences, with the release of Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell. Now, to celebrate a quarter century of its groundbreaking blend of traditional cel and CGI animation, Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly announces the Ghost in the Shell 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray™. Boasting an all new HD transfer, the GitS 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray™ streets September 30th with an SRP of $29.99. Pre-book is August 27th.

2029 – A female government cyber agent and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of a "The Puppet Master" – a computer virus capable of invading cybernetic brains and altering its victim’s memory. Created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and codenamed "Project 2501", this 'hacker' is actually a prototype virtual agent which has now defied its makers by seeking asylum within a new host body outside of the electronic net. Now the two agencies must maneuver against each another in a violent, high-tech race to capture the omnipresent entity.


When released in 1995, Ghost in the Shell took the world by storm exhibiting a new dimension of anime with unprecedented and mesmerizing cinematic expression. Seamlessly merging traditional cel animation with the latest computer graphic imagery, this stunning sci-fi spectacle broke through the boundaries of mainstream animation with detailed artistic expression and a uniquely intelligent story line. The film has gone on to inspire a generation of filmmakers and has become the most revered anime feature of all time. Veteran anime writer/director/producer Mamoru Oshii, working in conjunction with the animators at Production I.G. (Blood: The Last Vampire, Kaidohmaru, Kill Bill) brought to life Masamune Shirow’s vision.

This excellent cyberpunk thriller was co-produced by Manga Entertainment and enjoyed both critical and popular success at the U.S. box office and was the first Japanese animated film to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Top Video Sales Chart.

Ghost in the Shell 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray™
Genre: Sci Fi, Anime
Languages: Japanese
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English;
                            Dolby Digital 2.0 Japanese
Subtitles: English SDH
Year: 1995
SRP: $29.99
Street Date: September 30th, 2014
Pre-Book: August 27th, 2014
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 82 minutes
UPC: 0 1313 26241-3 6
Cat#: BD62413

GHOST IN THE SHELL 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Blu-ray Materializes September 30th from Anchor Bay Entertainment

"NEVERLAKE" - Coming to DVD July 29 from Uncork’d Entertainment

Uncork’d Entertainment Proudly Presents

Neverlake

Its Murky Waters Shroud a Deadly Secret …

Supernatural Thriller Available on VOD Now & DVD July 29th

LOS ANGELES — July 1, 2014 — For Immediate Release — On a trip to visit her estranged father in Italy, an American teenager is thrown into a world of legend, mystery and horror in Neverlake, coming to VOD (June 6) and DVD (July 29) from Uncork’d Entertainment.



When an American teenager visits her estranged father’s home in Italy, she expects to see the world and bond with her dad. But Jenny soon discovers her expectations are far from reality.

With her father immersed in his work, she encounters a peculiar group of children who take her to the Neverlake, which ancient legend calls the "Lake of Idols" for the healing powers of its water. In this mystical place, she is thrust into the mystery of three missing children and called upon by the 3,000-year-old spirits of the lake to retrieve ancient artifacts stolen from its murky depths.

She soon uncovers an evil world of horrific secrets, cruel medical experiments and lies … which may lead closer to home than she knows.

Following a limited theatrical run in early June, Neverlake will be available June 6 through Comcast, iTunes, Xbox Live, Vudu and Amazon; and on inDemand and DVD July 29.

Neverlake is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16 x 9 (2.35) and 5.1 digital surround sound.

About Uncork’d Entertainment:
 Founded in 2012, Uncork’d Entertainment distributes English- and Spanish-language films across a variety of genres for theatrical, television, DVD, VOD and other digital platforms. The company is helmed by Keith Leopard, an entertainment industry veteran with more than 23 years of experience, who has consulted on acquisitions, merchandising, marketing and distribution for both major studios and independent producers. Recent releases include Patrick, The Returned, Hazmat, The Dinosaur Experiment and the hit Chilean comedy Best Worst Friends. Visit us at: www.uncorked-ent.com



Neverlake
Uncork’d Entertainment
Genre: Drama/Supernatural Thrille
Not Rated
Format: DVD & VOD
Running Time: Approx. 86 Minutes
VOD Release Date: June 6, 2014
DVD Street Date: July 29, 2014
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99
Catalog #: UE1143
UPC Code: #816943011436

Buy it at Amazon.com 

"NEVERLAKE" - Coming to DVD July 29 from Uncork’d Entertainment

SCAVENGER KILLERS -- DVD review by porfle

Director Dylan Bank and co-writers Ken Del Vecchio and Rachael Robbins want to thrill you. They also want to shock you. They might even want to--horrify you. So if you feel that you care to subject your nerves to such a strain, you might want to check out their 2013 movie SCAVENGER KILLERS even though, despite a few effective moments, what it will probably do is alternately bore you and really gross you out.

It's the seriocomic story of a couple of thrill killers--one, the monstrously corrupt Judge Taylor Limone (Robert Bogue, "The Guiding Light"), and the other, his sexual and homicidal partner Clara Lovering (Robbins, BRUTAL MASSACRE: A COMEDY), an equally corrupt defense attorney--and the oddball assortment of FBI agents who are using their peculiar skills to solve the dastardly duo's string of brutally bizarre murders.

The latter include Dustin Diamond (better known as "Screech" from "Saved By the Bell") as the clairvoyant Agent Dewayne, who has psychic visions but only when he's fondling the massive breasts of helpful (and corpulent) civilian Velma "V-Rod" Rodriguez (Thea Vidale, "Thea") or sticking his fingers in her mouth. Agent Dewayne also suffers from extreme Tourette's Syndrome, a subject of constant bemusement for his boss Agent Guthro (Eric Roberts).

Also on the side of the law is mute, wheelchair-bound Agent Truman (Ken Del Vecchio again), who has wooden legs and a 180 I.Q., and his faithful interpreter and chair-pusher Agent Templeton (Kim Allen). Truman's broadly graphic sign language is played for laughs as are his ego, arrogance, and disdain for his lowly inferiors. This pays off sporadically, but a lengthy waterfront scene between him and another agent is dulled by weak writing and limp performances plus some annoyingly cutesy music.

Meanwhile, it's the bloody, brazen savagery and sheer horniness of Judge Limone and the sexy Clara that are meant to carry the day, along with what the filmmakers hope is their perverse charm. They're so unapologetically and gleefully evil that, at times, we do sorta buy into their being a fun couple of comic villains, always jumping each other's bones in public and private while salivating over their next kill.

What the latter entails, however, is so graphic and brutal that it may test your endurance for such antics. If EATING RAOUL was "black humor", then this is practically an oil slick in comparison.

While humor can help lessen the severity of the extreme violence in films of this nature, here it just seems to add an extra layer of perversion over everything. The sequence in which three naked members of an all-girl rock band are tortured and then slaughtered in various horrible ways is particularly disturbing, despite the filmmakers' attempts to inject it with gallows humor (literally).

And we're never quite sure if it's actually supposed to be funny, or if the "humor" elements are simply there to add another element of shock value. The death of their "cowboy" victim is pretty straightforward, with Clara riding him like a bronc while he must crawl over broken glass until they finally slash his throat. The judge's crowing about how he's "Superman" the whole time makes it more creepy than funny.

Strangely, there is a history of homicidal couples whose libidos were stoked by torture and murder, making some scenes of this nature uncomfortably close to reality. The violence itself is of the kind H.G. Lewis certainly would have generously stuffed into his films if he'd had the resources, although the realism of the advanced gore effects puts this in a different ballpark. Much of it, especially the pop-top brain removal gag, is positively Savini-esque.

Technically, the film looks fairly good while still displaying that distinct "direct-to-DVD" air. Acting is mostly pretty earnest, with the bigger names seeming to coast their way through most of their scenes (albeit capably, as one might expect). Charles Durning doesn't have much to do, while Eric Roberts treats the role of FBI boss Guthro as a mildly pleasant diversion. Robert Loggia, on the other hand, is the subject of one of the film's most outlandish (and SPFX-heavy) murder scenes.

The DVD from Midnight Releasing is in 16 x 9 widescreen with Dolby English audio and English subtitles (always a plus for those of us who don't hear so good). Extras consist of a behind-the-scenes featurette, a SPFX short, and a look at the film's premiere at the Hoboken Film Festival.

SCAVENGER KILLERS doesn't really take hold and get interesting until a couple of late plot twists that are pretty effective. It's an intermittently interesting low-budget movie that I found only semi-satisfying, but gorehounds--and fans of the good, bad, and ugly of bizarre cinema in general--may respond much more favorably.

Buy it at Amazon.com

 

SCAVENGER KILLERS -- DVD review by porfle

"WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH" Lands on DVD October 14th from Anchor Bay Entertainment!

We cherish the Christmas season, but what happens when the future of that holiday spirit hangs in the balance?

On October 14th, Anchor Bay Entertainment releases "WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH" on DVD!

Sure to become a new holiday favorite, here is a holly jolly tale unlike any other, filled with Christmas councils, Nutcracker soldiers, elves, angels and good old Santa Claus! The DVD is available for an SRP of $19.98

Based on the popular holiday story by best-selling New York Times author Cornelia Funke, When Santa Fell To Earth begins with Santa’s unexpected plunge directly into Ben and Charlotte’s town! He is on the run from Gerold Geronimous Goblynch, new head of the Great Christmas Council whose diabolical plan is to banish Santa from Christmas Land forever.

When the ignominious Geronimous sends his army of Nutcracker soldiers after Santa and the kids, the three embark on a magical adventure to find Santa’s trusty reindeer Twinklestar, free his Christmas elves and angels from Goblynch’s spell, and save Christmas before it’s too late.

A story of Christmas espionage and sabotage, of holiday magic and miracles, When Santa Fell To Earth has just enough sugar and spice to captivate children and adults alike. This is a fun new twist on some old holiday favorites and traditions, but one thing stays the same - the joy of Christmas and its ability to unite, embrace and warm even the coldest hearts!

WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH DVD
Genre: Family/Holiday Fantasy
Rating: PG
Languages: English
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio: Dolby 5.1 Surround
Year: 2011
SRP: $19.98
Street Date: October 14, 2014
Pre-Book Date: September 10, 2014
Run Time: 107 Minutes
UPC: 013132623443
Cat. #: DV62344
Subtitles: Closed captioned

"WHEN SANTA FELL TO EARTH" Lands on DVD October 14th from Anchor Bay Entertainment!

"The Perfect House" Coming to DVD with Sleepaway Camp's Felissa Rose & Jonathan Tiersten

 



THE PERFECT HOUSE
Starring Felissa Rose & Jonathan Tiersten
Coming to DVD July 22nd from Wild Eye Releasing

New York, NY -- Wild Eye Releasing has announced that The Perfect House, the anthology horror film from Kris Hulbert and Randy Kent, will make its long-awaited DVD release on July 22nd. Starring Sleepaway Camp's Felissa Rose and Jonathan Tiersten and Return of the Living Dead's John Philbin, The Perfect House will finally be available to own after a multi-city theatrical tour and screenings at film festivals and horror events across the country.

The film has been hailed as a "love letter to classic and modern horror" (Just Press Play) and having "enough gore for ten movies" (Crosstalk New York). The Perfect House won awards at several fests, including Best Visual Effects and Best Actor at the Underdog Festival and Best Feature at the Scarlet Waters Film Fest.

The Perfect House is an anthology inspired by the styles of three of the most famous time periods and sub genres of horror. Each vignette reveals a dark side to suburban anonymity through three different homeowners of the same house. A young couple are now looking to buy the house, but the violent acts of the previous doomed occupants are reawakened for them to experience. Now they must escape or become part of the legacy of pain that lives in the basement, and possesses anyone who stays too long.

The Perfect House (Official DVD trailer)


The DVD release of The Perfect House (SRP $14.95) will exclusively include over two hours of bonus features: behind the scenes featurettes, cast interviews, footage from the national theatrical tour, special effects featurettes, Q&A footage and an alternate ending.

Actors: Jonathan Tiersten, John Philbin, Monique Parent, Dustin Stevens, Andrea Vahl Felissa Rose
Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC
Language: English
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: WILD EYE RELEASING
DVD Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 84 minutes

Buy it at Amazon.com  

"The Perfect House" Coming to DVD with Sleepaway Camp's Felissa Rose & Jonathan Tiersten

BLOOD SOAKED -- DVD review by porfle

Nazis, flesh-eating zombies, lesbians, and homicidal psycho babes...you get all that and more in the gristle 'n' grue-packed BLOOD SOAKED (2014), now on DVD from Wild Eye Releasing.

Not to say that it's a great film or anything--but it is lively. And if you like "over the top", writer-director Peter Grendle seems to be doing his best to deliver.

Mild-mannered Piper (Heather Wilder) is just settling into life at a new college when she meets Ashley (Rachel Corona), a free-spirited lesbian who practically sweeps her off her feet. There's an interesting catfight which takes place early on during an outdoor keg party, with Ashley getting physical with another girl who doesn't respond well to being propositioned. This leads to Piper and Ashley going off by themselves into the surrounding desert for some getting-to-know-you alone time.

But their fun excursion turns to terror when they encounter a very different pair of girls--sisters Sadie (Laina Cathryn Grendle) and Katie (Hayley Derryberry), a couple of extremely bloodthirsty blondes who have been living in an underground bunker ever since the death of their father, a Nazi scientist who was conducting experiments to create a race of zombie slaves.

That's about all I want to give away about the plot, especially since that's about all we need to know in order to sit back and enjoy the warped, splattery horror that this premise just can't help but generate.

Piper, bless her heart, gets captured by Sadie and Katie and chained up in their bunker of horror where bad things happen to her amidst wall-to-wall zombies whom the girls keep well-fed with the freshly-dismembered bodies of passing motorists. Her attempts to escape are suspensefully staged, with the occasionally shocking plot turn to keep us off-balance.

Eventually Piper manages to get a call out with her cell phone, but when her mom and boyfriend show up, things don't go quite as she'd hoped. This leads to a pretty violent and, yes, "blood soaked" finale in which...oops, there I go giving away too much.

Heather Wilder does a good job with all the constant crying and screaming she has to do after things suddenly turn way, way horrific for her character early in the film. The rest of the cast are all capable, especially Rachel Corona as Ashley and Laina Cathryn Grendle and Hayley Derryberry as the monstrous but somehow perversely appealing Sadie and Katie.

The film definitely has that low-budget look but is well directed with some nice photography. Director Grendle makes the odd choice of switching from color to black-and-white less than half and hour into the movie, which is fine with me since I love black-and-white but which may be a bit disconcerting for some viewers.

BLOOD SOAKED is too just-plain freaky to be taken seriously in any way, which is good because if it were any more realistic it would be unbearably depressing. As it is, it's a free-for-all of over-the-top carnival-ride horror that just about any gorehound should find entertaining.

(NOTE: I reviewed a barebones screener so I can't comment on special features.)

Buy it at Amazon.com

BLOOD SOAKED -- DVD review by porfle

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Introduces Diamond Luxe Editions Sept. 30

WBHE to offer new films in sleek premium Blu-ray™ packaging

Burbank, Calif., June 20, 2014 – On September 30, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) will launch its new Diamond Luxe Editions – special new releases that will be offered in sleek and elegant collector-style packaging.


The releases selected to introduce the packaging will be two-disc sets of anniversary editions, alternate cuts and other signature titles – all of which will boast new or outstanding vintage bonus features.

 The first group of Diamond Luxe Edition titles includes anniversary editions of The Green Mile, Gremlins, Natural Born Killers and Forrest Gump. Ben-Hur will also be offered in a new Two-Disc Blu-ray™ edition. All are available for $24.98 SRP.


Diamond Luxe Editions represent state-of-the art-design, intended to communicate sophistication, class and value. They are an homage to the company’s iconic film catalog and designed to encourage collectability - a boon to home libraries everywhere.

The striking functional design is more sleek and durable than traditional Blu-ray packaging. As pictured below, a super-slim case, only ½" ‘thin’ when completely closed, features an eye-catching photographic image and title treatment. The case opens into a two-fold with two additional impactful images and then again into four panels with a powerful panoramic photo and two slots for the discs…all folding neatly for easy storage. Click here for illustrated animation.

Noted Jeff Baker, WBHE’s Theatrical Catalog EVP & GM, "While mainstream home entertainment packaged media may have peaked, there still is a substantial audience of movie enthusiasts for many titles from our theatrical library, the largest of any studio. These consumers demand not only extra features but also packaging that’s aesthetically pleasing and durable. We are looking forward in the future to judiciously releasing films utilizing this new and innovative packaging."

WBHE, a trend setter with 13 consecutive years as the industry’s market share leader, is known for its award-winning packaging designs (most recently, it won The Hollywood Reporter ‘s 2013 Grand Key Art Award for Harry Potter Wizards Collection). The studio expects this new design to further solidify its key market segment of Blu-ray catalog sell-through, anticipating the attractive yet practical packaging will create a new brand identity and make a special impression with movie enthusiasts and collectors.

Blu-ray Disc™ and Blu-ray™ and the logos are the trademarks of Blu-ray Disc Association.

Warner Home Video Blu-ray Discs™ offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, as well as extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound. The format also provides a higher level of interactivity, with instant access to extra features via a seamless menu bar where viewers can enjoy features without leaving or interrupting the film.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment 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, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com and WBUltra.

Stream rare and hard-to-find movies and TV shows at Warner Archive Instant; purchase discs at Warner Archive Collection. Even more at www.wbshop.com or www.wbultra.com

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Introduces Diamond Luxe Editions Sept. 30

Jamie Lee Curtis Recording Session for HALLOWEEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Blu-ray Deluxe Edition

Work continues on the HALLOWEEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Blu-ray set...

Bonus features continue to be added on a daily basis, and an announcement is forthcoming outlining all the great newly produced interviews, featurettes, behind-the-scenes footage and more that will be included in the 15-disc Deluxe Edition.

So, as we near our nation's birthday, please enjoy this behind-the-scenes photo of the actress who helped launched the historic franchise -- Jamie Lee Curtis, as she sat down with HALLOWEEN H20 director Steve Miner (r) and moderator Sean Clark (c) for a new commentary track and interview that you'll hear and see starting September 23rd!

Thanks and have a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Jamie Lee Curtis Recording Session for HALLOWEEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Blu-ray Deluxe Edition

TORMENT -- DVD review by porfle

Sometimes a movie starts out really good but then begins to suffer from something known as "Goes-On-Too-Long" syndrome. The horror-thriller TORMENT (2013) falls victim to this dreaded malady sometime after the halfway mark--which is a shame because up till then, it really had me going.

Robin Dunne (TEENAGE SPACE VAMPIRES, CRUEL INTENTIONS 2) plays Cory Morgan, a widower whose young son Liam (Peter DaCunha, THE BARRENS) is having a hard time accepting his new mom, Sarah (Katharine Isabelle, CARRIE 2002, AMERICAN MARY, GINGER SNAPS). The newlyweds hope this will change when they all spend some quality family time in Cory's rustic vacation cottage dead in the middle of Sticksville.

What they don't know is that another nearby house was the scene of some horrible murders that we got to see during the opening scene, and since Cory and Sarah just found evidence that someone else has been living in their cottage, the whole set-up starts to give us, the viewer, what various Star Wars characters usually refer to as "a bad feeling about this."

The local sheriff (played by old pro Stephen McHattie) advises them to "turn on a few lights", to which they respond by keeping one of the darkest houses I've ever seen in a film. I kept wanting to advise Cory to heed Sarah's instincts to get back in their SUV and get the hell out of Home Invasion-ville, but I've yet to find a way of getting movie characters to listen to me.

There are some great creepy touches--earlier, Sarah hears Liam playing with his talking toy robots in his room, and then that night after Liam's disappearance she hears the same toys talking in his room again. Later, after safely barricading herself in the bedroom against unknown assailants, she'll hear another sound outside the door which, again, might be the missing boy. Of course, she has to investigate, and...

Director Jordan Barker, whose earlier THE MARSH was another partially but not entirely successful horror flick that took place in a rural setting, takes his time establishing all of this, slowly building a sense of impending dread that works mainly because he doesn't tip his hand too early.

That is, at least not until things hit the fan about halfway through when the Morgans' frantic search for the missing Liam just goes from bad to worse. For ten minutes or so, TORMENT is painfully tense and frightening, and almost unbearably suspenseful. It's as though some of the scariest elements from films such as HALLOWEEN, THE STRANGERS, and even THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN were combined with the potential of terrifying us.

We get some very effectively scary glimpses of the bad guys (I'm not going to describe them any more than that except to say there's a new twist on the "mask" thing that's just way creepier than regular Halloween masks) although their identities remain a mystery to us. Unfortunately, as soon as the main bad guy opens his mouth and starts talking to a bound Cory, hinting at his rather uninteresting and even mundane motives, the film loses its buoyancy and starts settling back to earth.

After that, everything just starts following the old "elude the omnipresent stalker(s)" formula that we've seen a thousand times before until one of those big none-too-convincing showdowns. Even when the story tries to end with a big twist, it just comes off kind of flat. It's a shame too, since the initial set-up was so promising.

The cast is fine--even the youngest member, Peter DaCunha as Liam, gives an assured performance. Best of the bunch is familiar genre actress Katharine Isabelle, who just keeps getting better with time. (I remember her best as the vile Tina from the 2002 CARRIE remake while GINGER SNAPS and AMERICAN MARY fans will know her from those films.) She's convincing here as a caring young stepmom who has to "step" up to defend her kid against a terrifying menace.

The DVD from Vertical Entertainment is in 16 x 9 (2.40:1) widescreen with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. I reviewed a screener and can't comment on extras, if any.

TORMENT is worth checking out for the first half alone--it would've made a great short film if it had ended during its peak. Unfortunately, it sticks around too long like a houseguest who refuses to go home even after we've started to nod off.

Buy it at Amazon.com

Now available on VOD
DVD street date: July 15

TORMENT -- DVD review by porfle

"HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL" Graduates to Blu-ray and DVD August 26th from Olive Films

BEWARE:IT’S A TEENAGE JUNGLE OUT THERE!

OLIVE FILMS RELEASES
HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL!

ON BLU-RAY™ AND DVD AUGUST 26, 2014

Newly remastered in HD and on Blu-ray™ for the First Time!

Chicago, IL – Olive Films releases, one of the wildest, rockinest, flipped-out flicks of the ‘50s, High School Confidential!, on Blu-Ray™ and DVD August 26th. Directed by Jack Arnold (Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Incredible Shrinking Man) and released in 1958, this is one of the most memorable and iconic B-movies of all time and remains a campy cult classic with its exploitation essentials of bad girls, fast cars and raunchy rock and roll. Part crime story and part teenage delinquency drama, High School Confidential! is an unforgettable piece of trashy film history that was awarded a Golden Raspberry Award as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.

Fanning the flames of Eisenhower America's growing paranoia High School Confidential! is the quintessential juvenile delinquency film that celebrates the very sex-drugs-and-rock'n'roll culture it pretends to condemn. Staring Russ Tamblyn (West Side Story) as Tony Baker, the new kid at Santa Bellow High, whose cocky attitude and ambitious weed-dealing enable him to infiltrate the gang of a local narcotics boss played by Jackie Coogan ("The Addams Family"). But High School Confidential! is much more than a hardboiled crime picture. It's is a pop-culture touchstone, a Rebel Without a Cause without the angst, The Wild One, but even wilder!

High School Confidential! features the sexy and shapely Mamie Van Doren in her most outrageous role wrapped in tight sweaters that would make Ed Wood jealous! The opening sequence with a piano pounding performance of the theme song by Jerry Lee Lewis on a flatbed truck is one that still sizzles and shakes. High School Confidential! is the hippest, hottest thrill ride around – and these crazy cats and kittens must be seen to be believed!

About Olive Films
 Olive Films was founded in 2003 by Farhad Arshad as a boutique theatrical and distribution label. Currently located in Chicago, Illinois, its catalog boasts over 500 titles cultivated from the libraries of Paramount, Republic, Warner and HBO and includes such Hollywood classics as the Oscar® winners High Noon starring Gary Cooper and John Ford’s The Quiet Man starring John Wayne, the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Kevin McCarthy, Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 starring Robert DeNiro, the John Wayne classics Rio Grande, McLintock! and Sands of Iwo Jima, along with such contemporary classics as Stephen King’s Cujo, the Wachowski’s Bound, The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ironweed starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep.

High School Confidential! Blu-ray™
Street Date: August 26, 2014
Pre-book: July 21, 2014
Cat. #: OF798
UPC: 887090079808
Run Time: 85 Minutes
Rating: N/A
SRP: $29.95
Format: 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W
Audio: Mono
Subtitles: N/A

High School Confidential! DVD
Street Date: August 26, 2014
Pre-book: July 21, 2014
Cat. #: OF797
UPC: 887090079709
Run Time: 85 Minutes
Rating: N/A
SRP: $24.95
Format: 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W
Audio: Mono
Subtitles: N/A

Buy it at Amazon.com:

Blu-ray
DVD

"HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL" Graduates to Blu-ray and DVD August 26th from Olive Films

"THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON" Comes Home August 26th from Anchor Bay Entertainment

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT BRINGS HOME THE TERROR ONCE MORE WITH

AMC’S "THE WALKING DEAD:THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON"

EXPERIENCE IT ON BLU-RAY™+ DIGITAL HD WITH ULTRAVIOLET™ AND DVD AUGUST 26, 2014;

McFARLANE TOYS UPS TERROR QUOTIENT WITH

LIMITED EDITION "TREE WALKER" BLU-RAY™ SET


BEVERLY HILLS, CA – August. Baseball season is in full swing. Barbecues have been blazing since Memorial Day. And fans can count another August tradition, when Anchor Bay Entertainment releases THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON Blu-ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ and DVD on August 26th. Each format contains five loaded discs, presenting each episode exactly as it was originally broadcast. The Blu-ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ presents the episodes in pristine 1080p high-definition and lossless Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio. As with previous season releases, THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON rewards fans with hours of bonus features, including never-before-seen production footage, deleted scenes and audio commentaries, with ultra-exclusive content only available on the Blu-ray™ release, including additional audio commentaries and several "extended" episodes seen for the first time!


Another "Walking Dead" home entertainment release tradition, started with the Season 2 Blu-ray™ set, is the unique concept packaging by renowned collectibles creator McFarlane Toys. Following in the "shuffling" footsteps of Season 2’s "Walker Head" and Season 3’s "Walker Aquarium," THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON will be available in a Blu-ray™ limited edition "Tree Walker" package. SRP is $79.99 for the Blu-ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™, $69.98 for the DVD and $129.99 for the Blu-ray™ limited edition. Pre-book is July 23rd.

Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, AMC’s "The Walking Dead" enjoyed its most popular season to date, averaging 13.3 million live/same day viewers per episode and 8.6 million adults 18-49. Whether evading walkers, resisting a super flu outbreak, escaping the fall of their temporary prison haven and desperately searching for a sanctuary called Terminus, the on-going story of a group of survivors under the protective watch and leadership of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Dr. Herschel Greene (Scott Wilson) continues to capture viewers’ imaginations on a global scale.

THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON cast also includes Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, David Morrissey, Melissa McBride, Chad L. Coleman, Sonequa Martin-Green and Emily Kinney. New characters introduced this season include Sgt. Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz), Bob Stookey (Lawrence Gillard, Jr.), Rosita Espinoza (Christian Serratos) and Dr. Eugene Porter (Josh McDermott).

Season 5 of "The Walking Dead" premieres on AMC this October.

About AMC
Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade, or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, and boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history with The Walking Dead. AMC’s original drama series include Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels, Turn, Halt and Catch Fire and the forthcoming Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul. AMC also explores authentic worlds with bold characters through its slate of unscripted original series like Comic Book Men, Small Town Security, Talking Dead, Game of Arms and Freakshow. AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel, and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.

About Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.


"THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON" Blu-ray™
Street Date: August 26, 2014        
Pre-book: July 23, 2014
Cat. #: BD61611
UPC: 0-1313 2616117
Run Time: 696 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $79.99
Format: Widescreen Presentation 1.78:1
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish

"THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON" DVD
Street Date: August 26, 2014        
Pre-book: July 23, 2014
Cat. #: AF61610
UPC: 0-1313 2616100
Run Time: 688 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $69.98
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish

"THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON" Limited Edition Blu-ray™
Street Date: August 26, 2014        
Pre-book: July 23, 2014
Cat. #: BD61710
UPC: 0-1313 2617107
Run Time: 696 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $129.99
Format: Widescreen Presentation 1.78:1
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish

Buy it at Amazon.com:

Blu-ray

DVD

Limited Edition Blu-ray

"THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON" Comes Home August 26th from Anchor Bay Entertainment

SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES -- arriving September 16th on Blu-ray + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ and DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment

"Pulse pounding entertainment."

– Huffington Post

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT

BRINGS YOU THE BIGGEST AND BADDEST

BOX SET OF THEM ALL!

"SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES"

ON BLU-RAY™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™

AND DVD SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

Thirteen-Disc Set Contains All 39 Episodes and New Bonus Features!

  

Beverly Hills, CA – All hail Spartacus - his legend will live on! Anchor Bay Entertainment releases every season of the acclaimed Starz Original series in a complete muscular thirteen-disc Blu-ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ and DVD box set on September 16^th.

 

^{From executive producers Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Josh Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, here is every moment - uncut and uncensored – of the series that broke all the rules and took no prisoners! “SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES” is a beautifully packaged collection that contains a full disc of new bonus features. The Blu-ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ edition contains three new audio commentaries for the first season that are exclusive to this collection. A limited edition Blu-ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ set packaged with a Spartacus collector’s figurine will also be available with an SRP of $199.99. SRP is $149.99 for the Blu-ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ and $119.98 for the DVD.  Pre-book is August 13th.}

 



"SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES" is the classic tale of Spartacus, the Republic’s most infamous rebel who comes alive in the first season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." Then comes "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," the prequel that explores a deadly history before the arrival of Spartacus, and the death he now carries with him. The second season, "Spartacus: Vengeance," continues to follow Spartacus as he is faced with a choice to either satisfy his personal need for vengeance, or make the sacrifices necessary to keep his growing army from breaking apart at the seams. Finally, in "Spartacus: War of the Damned," Spartacus will carve his name into history as he plots to avenge his wife’s death and leads Batiatus' slaves in a bloody uprising that will not be forgotten or equaled.

"The gods finally bless us with the complete collection," says creator and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight. "Spartacus was a true labor of love for everyone who worked on it and I’m incredibly proud to present all 39 episodes in stunning High-def for the fans to enjoy at their leisure, but make sure you watch them in the order they first aired to revel in the experience as originally intended."

New Bonus Features:
SPARTACUS Fan Favorites With Liam McIntyre
Scoring A Hit: Composer Joseph LoDuca
An Eye Full: Roger Murray
SPARTACUS: Paul Grinder
The Last Word: John Hannah "SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES" features Andy Whitfield in a star-making turn in the title role for season one, Liam McIntyre takes over as Spartacus for season two and three. Also featured in memorable roles are John Hannah (The Mummy, Four Weddings and A Funeral), Peter Mensah (300, The Incredible Hulk), Manu Bennett (30 Days of Night), Nick E. Tarabay ("Crash"), Dustin Clare ("Underbelly"), Dan Feuerriegel ("Home and Away"), Simon Merrells (The Wolfman), Todd Lasance ("Cloudstreet"), Cynthia Addai-Robinson ("FlashForward") and Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess," "Parks and Recreation").

This is what fans have been waiting for, the full Spartacus in one big, bold and bloody box set. "SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES" is the one to own – it’s as powerful and compelling as the name it carries.


About Anchor Bay Entertainment Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company. Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Anchor Bay Entertainment (^{www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.}

About Starz Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), ^{www.starz.com.}

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of March 31, 2014, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.3 million subscribers, including 21.9 million at STARZ, and 34.4 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks’ third network MOVIEPLEX®, air over 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution’s home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.

"SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES" Blu -ray™ + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™Street Date: September 16, 2014
Pre-book: August 13, 2014
Cat. #: BD61758
UPC: 013132617589
Run Time: 2173 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $149.99
Format: Widescreen Presentation 1.78:1
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Spanish Mono
Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish


"SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES" DVDStreet Date: September 16, 2014
Pre-book: August 13, 2014
Cat. #: ST61757
UPC: 013132617572
Run Time: 2136 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $119.98
Format: Widescreen Presentation 1.78:1
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Mono
Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish

SPARTACUS: THE COMPLETE SERIES -- arriving September 16th on Blu-ray + Digital HD with Ultraviolet™ and DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment

DEPORTED WOMEN OF THE S.S. SPECIAL SECTION -- DVD review by porfle

It's always with a bit of trepidation that I watch yet another Nazisploitation flick. Am I supposed to enjoy it? How much? Or for that matter, just plain how?

DEPORTED WOMEN OF THE S.S. SPECIAL SECTION (1976) bypasses that problem by not reveling in sadism for its own sake nearly as much as the usual entries in this genre. And, slow-moving as it may be, it has a story that does more than just give the Nazis a chance to be unremittingly evil for awhile until we can enjoy seeing their violent comeuppance at the end.

We get the usual heroine, the aptly-named Tania Nobel (Lina Polito, ALL SCREWED UP), who finds herself in a camp--located in an actual castle for some great authentic atmosphere--for deported women waiting to get shuffled off to their various fates while the more attractive ones are reserved for "special duty." Tania's quiet integrity, strength, and willpower will make her an inspiration to the other women, especially the ones planning a daring escape attempt, and a thorn in the side of the S.S.

As in the recently-reviewed GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY, there's another doomed love affair between a female prisoner and a male Nazi, which resolves itself in rather Shakespearean fashion. (If Shakespeare had written Nazisploitation flicks, that is.) Of further interest is a prisoner named Trudy (Paola D'Egidio) who turns traitor and becomes a "kapo" just like the blonde Aryan bitches who are always either being coldly sadistic or unwelcomely sexual toward the captive women. (Yes, shockingly enough, this movie contains...LESBIANS!)

Also as in GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY, we have a prison camp commandant--the prancing, decadent Herr Erner (John Steiner, TENEBRE, BEYOND THE DOOR)--smitten with one of his female prisoners. In this case, Erner is still carrying a torch for Tania, whom he knew back in their old village. Her non-response to his continued come-ons, however, raises his ire as conflicting emotions cause him to act out in bursts of petulant, sometimes cartoonish overacting that's fun to watch.

Writer-director Rino Di Silvestro (HANNA D.: THE GIRL FROM VONDEL PARK) initially explores much of the exploitation value inherent in the film's premise. There's a lengthy sequence where the inevitable group strip leads to naked delousing, soapy communal showers, scalp-shearing, and the ceremonial shaving of the pubes complete with generous close-up action--which, of course, is topped off by a visit to the camp gynocologist.

Yet the film is realistic enough to be involving (albeit a bit depressing) without trying all that hard to invoke our inner sadist. A couple of the softcore sex scenes are actually somewhat erotic, while the tortures aren't lengthy or explicit enough to be anywhere near as gratuitious as other such Nazi-themed films.

In fact, the juiciest horrors, to which the languidly-paced story builds ever so slowly, are committed against the Nazis during the climactic escape attempt, with Tania coming through with an especially cunning (and satisfying) surprise for the loathesome commandant.

The DVD from Intervision is in anamorphic widescreen with Dolby digital mono sound. No subtitles. Extras include interesting interviews with both director Rino Di Silvestro and star John Steiner, plus the featurette "A Brief History Of Sadiconazista: Interview With Film Historian Marcus Stiglegger" which also appears on the GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY disc.

Without the horrifying experiments, cannibalism, and other lurid elements of the kind found in many Nazisploitation flicks, DEPORTED WOMEN OF THE S.S. SPECIAL SECTION gets by mainly on story, performances, and the earnest filmmaking skills of Rino Di Silvestro. It isn't exactly something I'd watch for pleasure, but it's good enough to be enjoyed (if one is so inclined) as more than just a guilty pleasure.

Buy it at Amazon.com

DEPORTED WOMEN OF THE S.S. SPECIAL SECTION -- DVD review by porfle

Celebrate HALLOWEEN Early This Year With the HALLOWEEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Artwork Premiere!

Anchor Bay Entertainment and Scream Factory proudly unveil the official art for the September 23rd release of the HALLOWEEN Complete Collection Blu-ray. Please see artwork below of the 15-disc Deluxe Edition and the 10-disc set.

Stay tuned for more details, including updates on the bonus features and photos taken from behind the scenes!

#MichaelisComingHome

Our previous coverage of this upcoming release
Sign up to be notified when this becomes available at Amazon.com

Celebrate HALLOWEEN Early This Year With the HALLOWEEN COMPLETE COLLECTION Artwork Premiere!

"TORMENT" Coming to VOD & DVD This Summer From Vertical Entertainment

Vertical Entertainment Proudly Presents
"Torment"

Welcome to the Family

Premiering on VOD June 6th & DVD July 15th

“Equal parts psychological and brutal.” -- CraveOnline

LOS ANGELES — June 1, 2014 — For Immediate Release — A family vacation goes horribly wrong in Torment, premiering on VOD (June 6) and DVD (July 15) from Vertical Entertainment.

Newlyweds Sarah (Katharine Isabelle, American Mary, Freddy vs. Jason, Insomnia) and Cory (Robin Dunne, TV’s Sanctuary) take Cory’s seven-year-old son, Liam (Peter DaCunha, Haunter, A Dark Truth, The Barrens), to a county home for some much-needed family bonding, hoping the boy – who resents his widowed father for remarrying – will warm up to his new stepmother.

Upon their arrival, it appears someone has been living in the house. Assured by the local sheriff that the intruders have moved on, they continue with their holiday plans … But the decision soon proves a terrible mistake when Liam goes missing.

Worry evolves into utter terror as the couple confronts a sadistic, cult-like family who have been hiding in the house all along. Now, Sarah and Cory must fight to save their entire family from these vicious kidnappers.

Also starring Stephen McHattie (Watchmen, 300), Torment is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 16 x 9 (2.40:1) and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound.

About Vertical Entertainment
Based in Santa Monica, Calif., Vertical Entertainment was founded in 2013 by entertainment industry veterans Rich Goldberg and Mitch Budin and has quickly become a notable force in indie film distribution for theatrical, television, DVD, VOD and digital platforms. With a focus on family fare and theatrical genre films with A-list casts in the $5-10 million budget range, the company plans to release up to 24 films a year.  High-profile titles acquired to date  include The Hot Flashes, starring Brooke Shields, Wanda Sykes, Virginia Madsen, Daryl Hannah, and Camryn Manheim; Scenic Route, starring Josh Duhamel and Dan Fogler; Rushlights with Josh Henderson, Beau Bridges and Aidan Quinn; the animated Freedom Force, voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christopher Lloyd; and the 3-D animated film The Snow Queen, based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale and produced by Timur Bekmambetov.

Torment
Vertical Entertainment
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Rated: R
Format: DVD & VOD
Running Time: Approx. 92 Minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $20.99
VOD Release: June 6, 2014
DVD Pre-Order Date: June 17, 2014
DVD Street Date: July 15, 2014
Catalog #: 03320
UPC Code: #037117033201

"TORMENT" Coming to VOD & DVD This Summer From Vertical Entertainment

VENDETTA -- DVD review by porfle

  

As reflected by several recent movies, many typical English citizens tend to feel helpless in the face of rising crime--especially when committed against innocent people by snotty young chavs with no moral compass whatsoever--and yearn for some good old-fashioned justice. 

 I can relate to that, which is why Danny Dyer's gritty revenge thriller VENDETTA (2013) is such a blast to watch.

Dyer (FREERUNNER, MALICE IN WONDERLAND, OUTLAW) plays Jimmy Vickers, an interrogation expert for the British forces in Afghanistan who, upon being dishonorably discharged, returns to London to visit his parents.  Tragically, they're both brutally tortured and killed before his arrival by a bunch of drug-dealing punks after Jimmy's dad (Tony Denham) heroically foils their robbery of a young woman on a bank run.  Breaking into their house, the gang rape Jimmy's mom (Emma Samms, "Dynasty") and then, in a scene which recalls a bit of the EDEN LAKE vibe, burn the couple alive.

What these vile (and very well-cast) hooligans don't realize is that they've just gotten on the bad side of someone whose job it is to go medieval on people's arses.  I don't know about you, but this sort of set-up has me chomping at the bit to see some of that hardcore Charles Bronson/DEATH WISH-style revenge served up in heaping helpings to the bad guys.  In other words, the last thing I want is to see someone reading these guys their rights and offering to appoint a lawyer for them.

VENDETTA knows what we want, and wastes little time satisfying our sweet tooth for vengeance.  Driven by intense grief and a burning anger, Jimmy Vickers uses all his Black Ops military training to go to war against the bad guys in ways that would border on torture porn if these sequences weren't so "short but sweet." 

Simply put, I love seeing sadistic bastards get back in spades the same kind of violence and intimidation that they inflict on others.  And with Jimmy, we have the perfect vehicle for such fitting revenge played out in a series of tense and sometimes action-packed scenes. 

Still, there wouldn't be much to the film it that were all there were to it.  And writer-director-editor Stephen Reynolds (TOMB RAIDER ASCENSION) gradually gives us more and more of Jimmy's backstory, introducing a succession of new characters to go with it, until there's a whole lot of other interesting stuff going on. 

An ongoing conflict rages between the cops who actually want to "take a bite out of crime"--such as Jimmy's supportive beat-cop friend Griff (Michael Ryan)--and career-conscious bureaucrats such as the loathesome DCI Holland (Alistair Petrie), who wants Jimmy stuffed on his mantelpiece while shrugging off the horrors going on around him. 

And then there's the sudden appearance of Jimmy's military cohorts, led by no-nonsense Colonel Leach (Vincent Regan, 300, TROY), to whom Jimmy is a much more valuable tool in extracting vital information from terrorists than in Holland's public image as a crimestopper.  Leach confronts Holland in one of the film's many powerful dialogue scenes that give its middle section just the right kind of edge to keep things interesting.  Bruce Payne (PASSENGER 57) lends his stone-faced acting weight as the even more intense government mystery man Rooker, another highly interested party in Jimmy's immediate future. 

But with all of that, the main thrust of VENDETTA remains the basic revenge story done well.  Dyer is at his low-key best as the wounded soul at the heart of it all, portraying a tender emotional side with his estranged wife Morgan (Roxanne McKee, WRONG TURN 5: BLOODLINES)--for whom he still wears his wedding ring--and his alter ego, the cold, calculating, almost fearless stalker-killer.  Director Reynolds keeps things tense, lean, and visually pleasing (except for some bothersome Shaky-Cam) and really knows how to ratchet up our vicarious need to see the baddies bite the big one.

The DVD from Inception Media Group is in 16x9 widescreen with 5.1 digital surround sound and both English subtitles and closed-captions.  Extras include a chummy commentary track with Reynolds and Dyer, a deleted scene,  and a trailer. (Don't miss the extra scene which pops up during the end credits crawl and teases us for the impending sequel.)

Is Jimmy Vickers' VENDETTA morally repugnant despite how utterly deserving of it these scum-of-the-earth  villains are?  And is it wrong of me to enjoy seeing such violent retribution against them?  Oh, well, it's only a movie... only a movie... only a movie...

Buy it at Amazon.com

VENDETTA -- DVD review by porfle

ETERNAL CON, The "Long Island" Comic Con: A Pop Culture Convention Experience Right in Your Backyard

MEET STAR WARS, ONCE UPON A TIME, COMIC BOOK STARS + MORE IN PERSON AS ETERNAL CON RETURNS TO CRADLE OF AVIATION JUNE 14 -15

Garden City, NY (May 20, 2014) - After the success of its inaugural event in June 2013 ETERNAL CON (The Long Island Comic Con) returns with a huge 2-day extravaganza June 14 &15 2014, taking place at the Cradle of Aviation’s Reckson Center, Garden City, NY.

Show Hours:

Saturday June 14th: 10:00am - 7:00 pm
Sunday June 15th: 10:00am - 5:00pm

This year’s celebrity guests include Rebecca Mader (star of the hit ABC tv series “Once Upon a Time” and LOST), Daniel Cudmore (Star of X-Men: Days of Future Past and the Twilight series), Ray Park (Star of G.I Joe and Star Wars), Lee Arenberg (Star of “Once Upon A Time, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek), the original Red Power Ranger Steve Cardenas, Zach Galligan (star of Gremlins), Catherine Mary Stewart (Star of The Last Starfighter and Weekend at Bernie’s), WWE wrestler Mick Foley, Tiamak (star of the Last Dragon), Paris Themmen (star of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate factory), with more guests to announced in the coming weeks.

Among the top names in the comic book industry attending are Amanda Conner (Supergirl, Harley Quinn), Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex, Painkiller Jane), Adam Kubert (Avengers, X-Men), Larry Hama (G.I. Joe), Bob Larkin (Famous Cover Artist), Sean Chen (X-Men, Iron Man), Billy Tucci (Shi, Wonder Woman), and over 70 comic book professionals expected to be in attendance!

On Sunday Jun 15th, in honor of Father’s Day, ETERNAL CON presents Kids day! The entire day will feature special events for children including “Youngling Training” where children are invited to join the NY-Jedi instructors in a supervised training session to learn basic Light Saber choreography & technique. Every child who participates will receive a free lightsaber!

New for 2014 is the COSPLAY PARADE. This FREE event is open to the public. The parade will begin at 9:00 am on Saturday June 14th of Aviation museums parking lot and proceed along Charles Lindberg Blvd and lead into the Cradle. More information on the parade is available on the ETERNAL CON website.

One of the biggest events in 2013 was the Costume Contest in the 300-seat IMax theatre. This year’s event will be pre-judged by Sue Lee (Star of the popular SYFY series Face-Off) and comic book superstar artist Amanda Conner. This live event will be simulcast on the IMax screen so everyone in the theatre gets a good look at all the costumes. The contest is open to all cosplayers and fans.

Again this year ETERNAL CON will help raise money for several worthy charities working in the local community including The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island, Hurricane Sandy Relief, and The Special Olympics (to be confirmed). In addition, Long Island Blood Services will be in attendance and will be conducting a special blood drive. ETERNAL CON will also be supporting the fundraising efforts with a series of charity auctions and a portion of the ticket sales from “Cosplay Night” at CitiField on June 12th presented by Eternal Con.

Throughout the weekend attendees will have the opportunity for Portfolio Reviews, Gaming tournaments, informative panels (such as the Women in Comics panel), the return of the Planet of the Apes movie prop gallery, a Car Show (with the 1966 Batmobile and many other cars from movies and television), a expanded Art Show, Cosplay groups, special performances, and a vendor room with over 150 tables of toys, jewelry, clothing, and collectibles.

For convention updates and announcements:

Official Website
Facebook 
Twitter

ETERNAL CON, The "Long Island" Comic Con: A Pop Culture Convention Experience Right in Your Backyard

GHOST OF GOODNIGHT LANE -- DVD review by porfle

These days, when you see that a movie has Billy Zane in it, you never know if he's going to actually apply himself or just wander through it until somebody hands him a check.  Maybe it says something for his latest flick, the Dallas-based spookfest GHOST OF GOODNIGHT LANE (2014), that he seems to muster up what comes as close to a performance as you're likely to see from him in something not on the same sea level as, say, TITANIC.

Here, Billy not only displays his best deadpan sense of humor but even wears funny hats as Alan, the crotchety head honcho of a no-budget production facility that churns out crappy movies.  Next to the larger building which houses his soundstage, there's a little old house which is used for editing and other post-production work.  A little old house that's--as Alan and his crew will discover--is haunted.

No time is lost setting things up.  Familiar actor Richard Tyson, who played the bully in THREE O'CLOCK HIGH and also shows up in such films as BLACK HAWK DOWN and BLACK WATERS OF ECHO POND, is the first to die when he's left alone in the house one night to finish editing a sequence and runs afoul of what appears to be a freaky-looking young female ghost who seems very agitated and very angry.  I watched this part right before going to bed, and yes, it did give me the creeps.

After the messy business of  his demise is dealt with (the police rule it an accident) Alan and the rest apply themselves to finishing their latest piece of crap as ominous storm clouds gather around the studio.  We meet his makeup girl Dani (the eternally cute Lacey Chabert), music and sound guy Amin (Lynn Andrews III), fill-in editor/janitor/Dani's boyfriend Ben (Matt Dallas, BEAUTY & THE BRIEFCASE), and the resident needs-a-shower loser Johnny (Adam Whittington), who runs the camera while lusting after actresses such as the plastic-enhanced blonde bimbo Laurel (Christine Bently Quinn).

Creepy-quirky little ghostly pranks occur all morning as you-know-who displays her mischievous side,  while Alan tries to shrug it all off in order to keep everyone from running out on him.  This is made more difficult when Thelma (Allyn Carrell), a weird old lady who claims to have once lived in the little house, suddenly shows up and reveals the whole story of who the ghost is, why she's there, and what she plans to do.  And it ain't pretty.

The movie continues in this vein until finally genre superstar Danielle Harris (HALLOWEEN series, CYRUS, BLACK WATERS OF ECHO POND, CHROMESKULL: LAID TO REST 2, THE VICTIM) as Chloe shows up with fellow thespians Micah (the also-cute Brina Palencia) and musclebound himbo Nico (the not-so-cute John Franklin) to get the ball rolling on what turns out to be the funniest part of the film, the big funky dance scene.  We get to see Alan the director at work here as he urges his performers to be ever more sexy and then foists product placement items upon them in the form of Uzis and "Muscle Milk" health drinks.  ("Muscle Milk" is actually mentioned in the closing credits, making it a genuine product placement item.)

With all this out of the way,  it's finally time for GHOST OF GOODNIGHT LANE to stop farting around and start bringing on the scary, which it does in a big way when the ectoplasm finally hits the fan around the midway point.  Despite all the tongue-in-cheek humor (which continues to amuse even after things get really serious) the story takes a deadly turn involving some pretty effective scares along with wince-inducing violence (one actress is confronted by the decaying, gibbering ghost and is made to slice herself to ribbons with pieces of a broken mirror) and just-plain "WTF?" moments such as one character suddenly flying around the room in fast motion and banging into walls until he's finally sucked through a trapdoor in the floor. 

Director and co-writer Alin Bijan (BELLS OF INNOCENCE) fills the movie with so many shocks both big and small that some of them can't help but score while others fall flat.  (In addition to which, this gang of idiots seems to specialize in sneaking up on each other and going "Boo!")  The ghost, whom we'll come to know as "Carly" (Sophia Arias), is a direct descendant of the stringy-haired young dead girls dressed in rags from such films as THE RING who appear several yards away at first and then instantly jut into screaming close-up, while moving around in jittery, jerkily-edited fast-motion.  One such instance caught on camera made me laugh out loud when budget-conscious Alan remarks, "Was that CGI?  I did NOT approve that."

Before it's all over, we get more cringeworthy instances of self-mutilation (one involving a spinning fan blade), some strange supernatural anomalies, spooky bedroom and bathroom-type scenes with dolls and mirrors, a possession-enhanced catfight (Lacey Chabert punching out Danielle Harris goes on my mental keeper reel), and a bad-CGI-slathered finale.

The DVD from Inception Media Group is in 16x9 widescreen with 5.1 surround sound with English subtitles and closed-captions.  A trailer is the sole extra. (Don't miss the final scene which appears after the end credits have already started rolling.)

At least we get a different set of stereotypes here besides the usual jocks, nerds, and camp counsellors (although there's no shortage of bimbos and horndogs), and the whole thing just kind of ambles along in an agreeable way until some quite watchable mayhem perks up the second half.  And with Billy Zane seemingly enjoying his time spent filming GHOST OF GOODNIGHT LANE, we get to see him actually invest part of his talent into his performance while remaining his casual, Zane-y self.

Buy it at Amazon.com

GHOST OF GOODNIGHT LANE -- DVD review by porfle