HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

STREETS OF BLOOD -- DVD review by porfle

"Are we even cops anymore?"
"We're past that, brother."

Val Kilmer's character, Det. Andy Devereaux, is referring to the fact that he and his fellow cops in STREETS OF BLOOD (2009) have ventured far beyond the bounds of acceptable police procedure in their quest to stem the rising tide of drug-related crime in the hurricane-ravaged Big Easy. But seeing that Kilmer, Sharon Stone, and Michael Biehn are appearing in this tacky, low-grade potboiler, the question he's answering might as well have been "Are we even movie stars anymore?"

Somehow, though, once I got past the possibility that this was going to be a classy, top-notch movie and lowered my expectations accordingly, I actually started to enjoy it. It's fast-moving, action-packed, and rather colorful in its depiction of the dark underbelly of New Orleans, with plenty of sleazy sex and violence to give it that neo-grindhouse appeal. Big names aside, it's not all that different from the cheap, direct-to-video action flicks I used to rent from hole-in-the-wall video stores back in the 80s.

Val Kilmer is an actor I like in just about anything, so I cut him some slack here even though he isn't all that successful at making me think he's from anywhere near Louisiana. As Andy Devereaux, a hardboiled narc trying to live up to his hero-cop father's legacy, he's a true blue cop even though he'll bend the hell out of the rules to make a bust. Curtis "Fifty Cent" Jackson plays his partner, Stan, a family man having trouble making ends meet and feeling the temptation to pocket some of the stacks of drug money they come across. Jackson seems more comfortable playing gangstas than cops, but he does a pretty good job here even though he could still use a few more acting lessons.

Andy and Stan often butt heads with Pepe (Jose Pablo Cantillo) and Barney (Brian Presley), two really out-of-control cops who like to kill bad guys, take their cash, do their drugs, and screw their girlfriends. But the two disparate duos find themselves working together when FBI agent Brown (Michael Biehn) launches an investigation that threatens to bring them all down just as they're starting to close in on the biggest drug gang in the city, the Latin Kings, run by a stone cold killer named Chamorro (Luis Rolon).

While all this is going on, a police psychologist named Nina (Sharon Stone) is conducting interviews with the main cops in order to find out why they have such a penchant for extreme violence, including Andy's four lethal shootings in three years ("I'm a good shot," he tells her). Stone comes off like a cross between Daisy Duke on 'ludes and a slow-drawlin' Mae West, with one of the worst southern accents in film history--I live about sixty miles from where this was filmed, and I don't think I've ever met anyone who talks like her. What, did she base her entire performance on a "Deputy Dawg" cartoon she saw when she was a kid? Anyway, she's just plain awful here, but it's kinda funny so that might actually be a plus.

The action scenes are somewhat artlessly staged, the photography looks like the cameramen were hopping around barefoot on a hot sidewalk, and the editing is less than exquisite. Those minor quibbles aside, however, the movie still manages to be exciting and fun to watch. Some scenes even generate a certain raw power, such as Kilmer's blow-up during an interrogation scene with Biehn and a trigger-happy exchange between Pepe and Barney and a pimpin' lowlife named Ray Delacroix (Davi Jay) who turns out to be working with the DEA. Several of the snappy dialogue scenes crackle with tension. Jose Pablo Cantillo is a standout as Pepe, and Biehn, as usual, turns in a solid performance. The post-Katrina flood sequence is atmospheric, while good use is made of locations in and around the city of Shreveport.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is bonus-less except for the film's trailer and English subtitles for the hard-of-hearing. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen image and Dolby Surround 5.1 are good.

Technically, STREETS OF BLOOD is a pretty slapdash affair, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. I even watched it again and liked it better the second time because I knew what to expect and what not to expect. Even when the surprise ending was entirely unbelievable, I just accepted it as part of the film's cheapo charm. And when it was over, I almost felt like I needed to rewind the tape, pop it out of the VCR, and get it back to the mom-and-pop video store where I rented it in time to avoid a late fee. After dubbing a copy, of course.

Buy it at Amazon.com
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Thursday, June 25, 2009

"FABLE: TEETH OF BEASTS" Coming Soon!

We asked Melantha Blackthorne about the status of this upcoming release, and she told us: "It's still in post production but nearing its birth. This Summer for sure!" Till then, here's a preview...


Lilith Noir is a hardboiled freelance enforcer for the shadow government that keeps watch over the city of Fable, a mythical realm that exists just beneath the surface of our awareness. When a fast talking private detective shows up on her doorstep, Lilith is faced with the case of a lifetime.

A new drug has hit the streets of Fable, black market Ouija boards are everywhere, victims of bizarre murders are choking the city morgue, and the prime suspect is an ancient demon masquerading as an urban vagrant. Witchcraft. Guns. The Occult. Never a dull day in the twilight city.

Medicine Show Cinema


Also be on the lookout for--"AVERSION"

Aversion is an action-packed tale of a private investigator who discovers too late that the woman that he's hired to follow is possessed by a demon. Alex Stokes (Andrew Roth) is a down and out, self-destructive PI who takes cases wherever he can. When he's offered a healthy sum by a mysterious man to follow his beautiful wife (Melantha Blackthorne), he can't resist.

Her seemingly mundane day to day activities take a strange turn when she tries to kill herself. After Alex saves her, their chemistry is too much to resist and the two become romantically entangled. This is only the beginning as his friends and acquaintances begin to fall into a vortex of evil, leaving him alone to save mankind.

Watch the trailer here: AVERSION website


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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

"MAD MONSTER RALLY"--Triple Treasure Trove of Terror Unleashes on DVD July 21st


Infinity Entertainment Group in Association With Retromedia Entertainment Proudly Presents MAD MONSTER RALLY--A Big Box of Scary!

LOS ANGELES — July 1, 2009 — Get ready for a monstrous midnight marathon as Morella, the Ghost Hostess with the Mostest, unveils a haunting collection of terror-ific goodness in Mad Monster Rally, on DVD July 21 from Infinity Entertainment Group.

The Mad Monster Rally box set includes three volumes – eight big films – guaranteed to keep you awake at night!

Morella’s All-Nite Spooktacular – Sit back and thrill to a chill-filled double-feature, The Cremators (1972) and House of Blood (1973).

Morella’s Blood Vision – This delightfully wicked offering featuring the walking dead includes Zombies (1964), The Blood Seekers (1965) and Blood Stalkers (1978).

Sci-Fi Trash-O-Rama – This trilogy of terror classics includes Creature of Destruction (1967), The Flying Saucer Mystery (1950) and UFO: Target Earth (1974)

The Cremators, House of Blood, Blood Seekers, Creature of Destruction, The Flying Saucer Mystery and UFO: Target Earth are presented in full frame with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Zombies is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Blood Stalkers is presented in letterbox with an aspect ration of 1.85:1.

Retromedia Entertainment was launched in 2001 by CEO Fred Olen Ray, a well-known writer, director and producer of films across a broad range of genres. Among his most successful works are the award-winning films Invisible Mom, starring Dee Wallace, and Inner Sanctum, starring Tanya Roberts and Margaux Hemingway, both of which became "The Number One Most Rented" DVD titles in the U.S., according to the RIAA. The latter film earned Ray the Wall Street Journal headline "B Movie Makes A-Movie Money." Ray also directed the award-winning Black Horizon, starring Michael Dudikoff and Ice-T; Armed Response, starring David Carradine; and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, called the "4th Coolest B Movie of All Time" by Maxim magazine.

Infinity Entertainment Group, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., is a multi-service home entertainment retail distributor specializing in independent films, television programming, special-interest, documentaries, anime and music. Clients include Smithsonian Networks, MOJO HD, Falcon Picture Group, Bandai Entertainment, Roxbury Entertainment, SJ2 Entertainment and Retromedia. Hit titles include the iconic Route 66 television series, now available on DVD for the first time, and Spike Jones: The Legend. The company was launched in 2006 and is a division of Infinity Resources, Inc., a privately-held, multi-channel marketing and service enterprise with general offices based in suburban Chicago, Ill.

Mad Monster Rally
Infinity Entertainment Group
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror
Not Rated
Format: DVD Only
Running Time: Approx. 640 Minutes
Suggested Retail Price: $24.98
Pre-Order Date: June 16, 2009
Street Date: July 21, 2009
Catalog #: IEG2132
UPC Code: #617742213294
Buy it at Amazon.com
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Saturday, June 20, 2009

"STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI" on DVD June 30th

WITNESS THE ORIGINS OF THE STREET FIGHTER UNIVERSE STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI

The #1 Action Video Game Of All Time Battles On To Unleashed & Unrated Three-Disc Blu-ray And Two-Disc DVD June 30 From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Includes Bonus Disc With Full-Length Animated Comic Movie About Genesis Of Street Fighter Universe

CENTURY CITY, CA -- Based on one of the most successful and popularvideo game franchises of all time, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li takes its acclaimed heroine on an action-packed quest for justice when it debuts on Unleashed & Unrated three-disc Blu-ray and two-disc DVD June 30 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Featuring for a limited time the full-length animated comic movie, Street Fighter Round One: FIGHT!, the film delves deeper into the origins of the Street Fighter universe.

Starring five-time Teen Choice Award nominee Kristen Kreuk ("Smallville") in the iconic title role, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is a pulse-pounding, non-stop thrill ride. In this classic story of good vs. evil, Chun-Li (Kreuk) must stand strong against the Shadaloo syndicate who is determined to take over Bangkok slums already teeming with a dangerous criminal element. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, who also directed the hit video game feature Doom, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li also features high-impact performances from stars including Screen Actors Guild award nominee Neil McDonough ("Desperate Housewives"), two-time Teen Choice Award nominee Chris Klein (American Pie), Michael Clarke Duncan (Sin City), Moon Goodblood (Terminator Salvation) and Taboo (musical group Black Eyed Peas).

Featured in the Guinness Book of World Records as the #1 all-time coin operated video game, and a brand new Street Fighter next-gen counsel video game released in February 2009, the Street Fighter name has stood the test of time with its lasting appeal. The Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Unleashed & Unrated Blu-ray Disc with Digital Copy and two-disc DVD editions include a bonus disc with the full-length animated comic movie, Street Fighter Round One: FIGHT!, commentary by producers Patrick Aiello and Ashok Amritraj and cast members Neal McDonough and Chris Klein, behind-the scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and more, and will be available for $39.99 U.S. / $49.99 Canada (BD w/ DC) and $29.98 U.S. / $43.48 Canada (DVD). Prebook date is June 3.
Synopsis
Brace yourself for the hard-hitting action and high-flying excitement of Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. including an all new unrated cut! Based on the wildly popular Street Fighter video game series, this powerful martial arts adventure explores the origins of the Street Fighter universe through Chun-Li (Kristen Kreuk), who avenges her father’s death at the hands of Bison (Neil McDonough) and his evil Shadaloo Empire. Now the stage is set, the challenge is clear, the legend will be forged...but who will prevail? Round One. Fight!

Blu-ray Disc With Digital Copy Specs The Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Unleashed & Unrated three-disc Blu-ray will be presented in widescreen format (2.35:1 aspect ratio) with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio with English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Bonus features include:
Disc One

Theatricaland Unrated feature Audio Commentary by Patrick Aiello, Ashok Amritraj, Neal McDonough and Chris Klein Street Fighter: In Movie Enlightenment 14 Deleted Scenes Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Sneak Peek Becoming a Street Fighter Chun Li: Bringing the Legend to Life Fox Movie Channel Presents Making A Scene Recreating the Game: Arcade to Film Comparisons The Fight in Black and White: Storyboard Gallery Behind the Fight: Production Gallery
Disc Two
Unrated Digital Copy
Disc Three
Street Fighter Round One: FIGHT! Animated comic movie

DVD Specs Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Unleashed & Unrated two-disc DVD will be presented in widescreen format (2.35:1 aspect ratio) withEnglish 5.1 Dolby Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Bonus features include:

Disc One
Theatrical and Unrated feature Audio Commentary by Patrick Aiello, Ashok Amritraj, Neal McDonough and Chris Klein 14 Deleted Scenes Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Sneak Peek Becoming a Street Fighter Chun Li: Bringing the Legend to Life Fox Movie Channel Presents Making A Scene Recreating the Game: Arcade to Film Comparisons The Fight in Black and White: Storyboard Gallery Behind the Fight: Production Gallery

Disc Two
Street Fighter Round One: FIGHT! Animated comic movie

A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets -- from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce - throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
Street Date: June 30, 2009
Pricing: $39.99 U.S. / $49.99 Canada (Blu-ray Disc with Digital Copy)
$29.98 U.S. / $43.48 Canada (DVD)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature Run Time: 97 minutes
Closed Captioned
Buy it at Amazon.com: DVD/Blu-Ray

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"THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT" on DVD and Blu-Ray August 18th

FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, FRIDAY THE 13TH, AND THE HILLS HAVE EYES

OWN IT ON BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF AND DVD AUGUST 18, 2009 FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT

IF SOMEONE HURT SOMEONE YOU LOVE, HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO GET REVENGE?

“HARSH, DARK AND ADMIRABLY UNFLINCHING.”
–Scott Weinberg, Fearnet.com

There’s a place where evil gets what it deserves. Legendary masters of horror Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham revisit the landmark film that launched Craven's directing career and influenced decades of horror films to follow: The Last House on the Left. Bringing one of the most notorious thrillers of all time to a new generation, they produce a shocking and thrilling re-imagination of the story that explores how far two ordinary people will go to exact revenge on the sociopaths who harmed their child. Includes two versions of the movie - the unrated cut too terrifying for theaters and the theatrical version. Starring Monica Potter (Saw), Tony Goldwyn (The Last Samurai), and Sara Paxton (Sydney White).
Blu-rayTM Hi-Def: LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Experience pure terror in perfect picture and purest digital sound available! Available for a limited time only, the 2-disc Blu-ray version plays on your Blu-ray player or Playstation® 3 and includes exclusive additional features!
· DIGITAL COPY OF THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT unrated: Transfer the included digital copy to your iPod, Mac or PC and experience The Last House on the Left anywhere, anytime!
· BD-LIVETM: Access the BD-LiveTM Center through your Internet-connected player to get even more content, watch the latest trailers, and more!
o MY SCENES SHARING: Pick your favorite scenes from the film to create your own video montage, then share with your buddies via BD-LiveTM.


BONUS FEATURES ( DVD and BLU- RAY ™ HI-DEF):

DELETED SCENES
A LOOK INSIDE - FEATURETTE

SYNOPSIS: Renowned horror director Wes Craven returns to the scene of one of the most notorious thrillers of all time in this darkly disturbing reimagining of The Last House on the Left. After kidnapping and ruthlessly assaulting two teen girls, a sadistic killer and his gang unknowingly find shelter from a storm at the home of one of the victim’s parents – two ordinary people who will go to increasingly gruesome extremes to get revenge. Loaded with shocking twists guaranteed to leave you on edge, it’s an ominous film critics call “pure terror” (Victoria Alexander, Filmsinreview.com). How far would you go to get revenge?

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF:
Street Date: August 18, 2009
Copyright: 2009 Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Selection Number: 61110488
Price: $39.98 SRP
Running Time: 1 Hour, 50 Minutes (Theatrical), 1 Hour, 54 Minutes (Unrated Edition)
Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Rating: R for sadistic brutal violence including a rape and disturbing images, language, nudity and some drug use / unrated
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Sound: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Includes digital copy (unrated version)

TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD:
Street Date: August 18, 2009
Copyright: 2009 Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Selection Number: 61110437
Price: $29.98 SRP
Running time: 1 Hour, 50 Minutes (Theatrical), 1 Hour, 54 Minutes (Unrated Edition)
Layers: Dual layer
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Rating: R for sadistic brutal violence including a rape and disturbing images, language, nudity and some drug use / unrated
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1


CAST AND FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Sara Paxton, Garret Dillahunt, Martha MacIsaac, Riki Lindhome
Directed By: Dennis Iliadis
Written By: Adam Alleca, Carl Ellsworth
Produced By: Wes Craven, Sean Cunningham, Marianne Maddalena
Co-Producers: Jonathan Craven, Cody Zwieg
Director of Photography: Sharone Meir
Production Designer: Johnny Breedt
Editor: Peter McNulty
Music By: John Murphy
Costume Designer: Katherine Jane Bryant
Casting By: Nancy Nayor Battino, C.S.A., Scout Masterson, C.S.A.
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Thursday, June 18, 2009

"HOMECOMING" -- In Theaters July 17th

From Paper Street Films and Animus Films
A Morgan J.Freeman Film
Starring Mischa Barton, Jessica Stroup and Matt Long
A girl never forgets her first love...

Mike (Matt Long) is a small-town star athlete who is the first in his family to attend college, receiving a football scholarship to prestigious Northwestern University . When he returns home over Christmas break to the people he left behind - his family and friends - they are all surprised to see him with a new girlfriend, Elizabeth (Jessica Stroup), a pretty rich girl from Chicago . No one is more shocked than Mike's homecoming queen ex-girlfriend, Shelby (Mischa Barton), who immediately wants to be rid of Elizabeth and plots to take care of the problem. Our story takes many twists and turns as Shelby does everything it takes to get Mike back.

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Dark Sky Films Presents "DEADGIRL" -- Opens July 24, 2009

A film by Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel
Starring Shiloh Fernandez (Red, United States of Tara), Noah Segan (Brick), Michael Bowen (Kill Bill, Jackie Brown) and Candice Accola (Juno)

Daringly original, genre-busting and certain to cause debate, Deadgirl is an odyssey into the soul of our alienated youth. But by injecting universal teen moral moorings into something fantastical and terrifying, the film takes the conventions of the horror and coming-of-age movies and turns them on their heads.

When high school misfits Rickie (Shiloh Fernandez) and JT (Noah Segan) decide to cut school and find themselves lost in the crumbling facility of a nearby abandoned hospital, they come face-to-face with a gruesome discovery: a woman whose body has been stripped naked, chained to a table and covered in plastic. When both react to the situation in extremely different ways, the boys soon find themselves embarking on a twisted yet poignant journey that forces them to decide just how far they're willing to stretch their understanding of right and wrong.

A no-holds-barred look at the horror of growing up.
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August Releases From CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment

THE UNTOUCHABLES: SEASON THREE, VOLUME ONE
"The Untouchables" chronicles the campaign of Eliot Ness (Robert Stack), the young U.S. Prohibition Bureau agent, to smash the beer and booze empire of Al Capone in 1920s Chicago.

Actors: Robert Stack, Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Bruce Gordon, Steve London, Paul Picerni
Format: Box set, Black & White, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 1
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009


NCIS: THE SIXTH SEASON
NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, formerly led this troupe of colorful personalities. Gibbs, a man of few words, only needs a look to explain it all. The team includes NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective who may come off as the world's oldest frat boy, but whose instincts in the field are unparalled; forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose dark wit matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes; NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field; and Ziva David, a former Moussad agent who shares a bond with Gibbs over the death of his arch nemesis, Ari, the terrorist who killed former NCIS Special Agent Kate Todd. Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know. Rounding out the team is NCIS director Jennifer Shepard, who has a romantic history with Gibbs. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Actors: Mark Harmon, Cote de Pablo, Lauren Holly, David McCallum, Sean Murray, Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 6
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009

THE LOVE BOAT: SEASON TWO, VOLUME TWO
Each week, passengers looking for romance board the beautiful Pacific Princess cruise ship as it sails to tropical and exotic lands. Captain Stubing, Julie, Gopher, Doc, and Isaac help them to get the most out of their trips and do their best to help them fall in love.
Actors: Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Lauren Tewes, Fred Grandy
Format: Box set, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Number of discs: 4
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 4, 2009
Run Time: 664 minutes



DEXTER: THE THIRD SEASON DVD AND BLU-RAY
"Dexter" is back and more killer than ever. The Emmy-nominated Showtime Original Series (Best Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama Series) returns for an all-new season--and this time Dexter's got a new take on taking life. Having faced some of his darkest demons, Dexter's ready to put the past behind him. Now, with family life, a day job catching killers and an uncontrollable urge to do away with the ones that get away, Dexter's got his work cut out for him. And when a high-profile cases sides him with powerful Assistant DA Miguel Prado, the pressure might be too great for even our beloved Dexter to hack.

Actors: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, James Remar, Lauren Velez, David Zayas, Jimmy Smits
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 4
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Showtime / Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 18, 2009

TV SETS: BEYOND THE ORDINARY
Enjoy a sampling of the very first episodes from four of the greatest Sci-Fi dramas of all time! Go back to the beginning with the classic Sci-Fi phenomenon, "Star Trek", to contemporary fantasy favorites like "4400", "Joan of Arcadia", and "Medium."

Actors: Patricia Arquette, Joel Gretsch, Jacqueline McKenzie, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Amber Tamblyn
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 1
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009
Run Time: 226 minutes

TV SETS: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Enjoy a sampling of the very first episodes from four of the greatest crime shows of all time! Go back to the beginning with your favorite crime busters from classic shows like "Streets of San Francisco" and "Hawaii Five-O" to contemporary favorites like "CSI NY" and Dexter."

Actors: Michael Douglas, Gary Sinise, Jack Lord, Michael C. Hall, Karl Malden
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Number of discs: 1
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009
Run Time: 195 minutes



90210: THE FIRST SEASON
An edgy, contemporary spin-off of the iconic drama "Beverly Hills, 90210", the new "90210" looks at life through the eyes of Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) and her brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds), whose first day at West Beverly Hills High School leaves no doubt they're not in Kansas anymore.

Actors: Tristan Wilds, Shenae Grimes, AnnaLynne McCord, Michael Steger, Jessica Stroup Format: Anamorphic, Color, Digital Sound, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 6
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 11, 2009
Run Time: 960 minutes

CALIFORNICATION: THE SECOND SEASON
Sophisticated and unique, this comedy centers on novelist Hank Moody who struggles to raise his teenage daughter with his on-again/off-again girlfriend in Southern California. His obsession with truth-telling and self destructive behavior--drinks, drugs, and relationships--are both destroying and enriching to his career.

Actors: David Duchovny, Evan Handler, Madeleine Martin, Natascha McElhone, Madeline Zima
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 2
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Showtime / Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 11, 2009

EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS: THE FOURTH SEASON
Inspired by his childhood experiences, comedian Chris Rock narrates the hilarious, touching story of a teenager growing up as the eldest of three children in Brooklyn, New York during the 1980s. Uprooted to a new neighborhood and bused into a predominantly white middle school two hours away by his strict, hard-working parents, Chris struggles to find his place while keeping his siblings in line at home and surmounting the challenges of junior high. This responsible, resilient adolescent brings a distinct, funny spin to his everyday trials and traumas in this single-camera comedy.

Actors: Chris Rock, Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, Imani Hakim, Vincent Martella, Tequan Richmond, Tyler Williams
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 1
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: August 18, 2009
Run Time: 20 minutes


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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

"KARLOFF & LUGOSI HORROR CLASSICS" -- October 6th from Warner Home Video

The Walking Dead! Frankenstein-1970! You’ll Find Out! Zombies on Broadway!
Burbank, Calif., June 15, 2009 - Horror fans will again be screaming this Halloween when Warner Home Video debuts the Karloff & Lugosi Horror Classics October 6 -- four frightfully fun horror classics all in one collection and on DVD for the first time. Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, iconic horror actors best known for creating the screen’s original Frankenstein and Dracula characters, star here in other roles in The Walking Dead, Frankenstein-1970, You’ll Find Out and Zombies on Broadway. The 2-disc set will be available for $26.98 SRP.

The Walking Dead (1936)
The Walking Dead is a unique blend of cinematic horror and the classic Warner Bros. gangster stylings. This long-admired cult favorite stars Boris Karloff, who gives an outstanding performance as John Ellman, an ex-con framed for murder who’s sentenced to the electric chair. When Ellman is brought back to life through the miracles of science, his only task is to seek revenge against those responsible for his death. Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) directs this eerie tale.

Special Feature: Commentary by historian Greg Mank

Frankenstein-1970 (1958)
Nearly twenty years after his final appearance as the Frankenstein monster in Son of Frankenstein, Boris Karloff returned to the screen in a new film derived from the Mary Shelley story that first catapulted him to stardom. In this 1958 horror classic, Karloff appears in the role of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a descendent of the original doctor, whose depleted fortune forces him to grant a film crew access to the family castle to shoot a horror flick. It’s not all bad, though, since he now has a supply of fresh body parts ready for harvesting.

Special Feature: Commentary by historians Charlotte Austin and Tom Weaver
You’ll Find Out (1940)
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Peter Lorre poke fun at their horror-genre personas in this wacky 1940 RKO mix of music, murder and mirth. The plot finds the trio of horror legends leaving a trail of terror and laughs along the way, as they plan a murder in order to nab a young heiress’ inheritance in a spooky, spoofy haunted house tale. The film was one of several hits of the era featuring the music and merriment of the then popular Kay Kyser and his band. The film’s original song, "I’d Know You Anywhere" was Oscar® nominated.

Zombies on Broadway (1945)
The emphasis is equally spread between horror and hi-jinx in this wacky RKO production that has endeared itself to generations of die-hard Lugosi fans. Here, Bela Lugosi stars as mad scientist Dr. Paul Renault who ends up with more than he bargained for when he encounterstwo inept Broadway press agents (Alan Carney and Wally Brown) looking for a real-life zombie to use for a publicity stunt in promoting a new nightclub.

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Monday, June 15, 2009

GHOST MONTH -- DVD review by porfle

Don't forget to mark your calendars, kids, because GHOST MONTH is about to roll around and you're in big trouble if you don't follow the rules. Rule number 1 is: don't whistle. Rule number 2: if a ghost whispers your name, don't turn around, because if you do then that makes the ghost pull one of those Asian-horror-movie jump scares that may seriously freak you out. And rule number 3 is: uh, something about not stepping in the pile of ash left from the burnt offerings to the ghosts. Like just about everything else, it tends to anger them.

I, myself, would add a fourth rule, which is: if you go to work as a housekeeper for a mysterious Chinese woman and her creepy aunt and you find out that their house contains an open gateway to Hell that has malevolent ghosts pouring out if it, you might want to consider finding another job.

The idiot who not only can't take a ghostly hint but manages to break all the rules in nothing flat is Alyssa, played by likable actress Marina Resa. Alyssa gets more interesting as the movie goes along, but at first the most exciting things she does are smiling real nice and neatly tucking her hair behind her ears. I have to admire Alyssa's calm demeanor--in one scene she'll have an intensely frightening ghostly experience, and in the next scene she's whistling cheerfully through her housework again. The ghosts often scare her into passing out, and Mrs. Wu and her aunt find her lying on the floor. This becomes such a frequent occurrence that Miss Wu finding Alyssa passed out cold on the floor almost becomes a household routine.

The main reason Alyssa keeps on working at Ghost Central is that she's being stalked by a scary former boyfriend, Jacob (Jerod Edington), so working for Miss Wu (Shirley To) in her beautiful Southwest-style mansion in the middle of the Nevada desert is a perfect hiding place. Until he tracks her down, that is, giving Alyssa even more to worry about than jack-in-the-box ghosts flying at her at an alarming rate. Miss Wu's enigmatic neighbor Blake (Rick Irvin), who knows more than he's telling about the disappearance of her previous housekeeper, is another concern.

What makes GHOST MONTH different from the standard cheapo scare flick, besides being well-directed and having some superb cinematography and locations, is that writer-director Danny Draven is trying his best to give us some of the same jolts that we get from Asian horror cinema. And for much of the film, he does this quite well. The movie has some really scary ghosts in it, appearing suddenly along with the usual loud musical stings and making us jump. Even when we expect it, such as the times Alyssa opens a door and we just know something will be behind it when she closes it again, these ghosts can still give us a real fright. I like the fact that this is achieved mainly through clever directing rather than tricky editing.

The biggest drawback to the film, in my opinion, is a tiresomely persistent musical score. Occasional silence can be an effective tool in this sort of film, and having non-stop music telling us what to feel at every turn is distracting. As for DVD extras, I watched a screener that didn't have any but I can list them--behind-the-scenes footage, a cast commentary track with Marina Resa, Shirley To, and Rick Irvin, an "Origins of Ghost Month" featurette, an interview with director Draven, bloopers, still gallery, and closed captioning. The film is presented in 16 x 9 anamorphic widescreen with 2.0 stereo sound. The closing credits look particularly cool.

Having Miss Wu and her aunt constantly praying and making burnt offerings to ward off the ghosts gives Draven a chance to introduce some familiar Asian elements, such as people being wrapped up in yards of long, black ghost hair. Revenge is a motivating factor for these restless spirits, and some of the characters get what's coming to them in interesting ways (one of which is a treat for Poe fans). Unfortunately, the story starts to run out of steam, as well as logic, towards the end and there's perhaps one climax too many. But for the most part I found GHOST MONTH to be a worthy effort that held my attention and managed to generate a respectable amount of bloodcurdling shocks. And it's nice to see someone create an original Asian-style ghost story instead of just knocking off another remake of one.

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Friday, June 12, 2009

BUNDY: A LEGACY OF EVIL -- DVD review by porfle

Back in 1990, Corin Nemec starred in a "Ferris Bueller"-inspired TV series called "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." Later, he went against type to play the repellent Harold Lauder in the ABC miniseries "The Stand", based on Stephen King's book. Now, with BUNDY: A LEGACY OF EVIL (2008), Nemec seems intent on exorcising all traces of his nice-guy image by portraying one of the most cold-blooded serial killers of all time, Ted Bundy.

It's hard to say how successful he is at this because at times I couldn't tell if I was supposed to think his Ted Bundy was scary or funny. This is especially true of the scene in which Ted, after murdering a young woman in some isolated location, gets down on all fours and starts howling like a coyote. Sometimes he seems to be still playing perennial loser Harold Lauder, striking out romantically while trying to pass himself off as a normal, dynamic guy. Nemec's theatrical portrayal is occasionally interesting, but rarely convincing.

Some effort is made by writer-director Michael Feifer to show some of the possible reasons for Bundy's warped personality. He had a troubled childhood during which he thought his grandparents were his parents and his mother was his sister (his father's identity being the subject of some dubious speculation). He grew up reading violent horror comics. And he was devastated when his college sweetheart dumped him after she realized that the socially-stunted young man would never grow up. Immediately after this, however, we're shown a montage of brutal abduction-murders with the now totally bonkers Ted having suddenly morphed into a savage, bloodthirsty animal. None of it really comes together to show the evolution of Bundy from troubled youth to psycho.

I read Wikipedia's page on Ted Bundy and found that much of the film's story is fairly accurate, although we still don't get an idea of the sheer number of victims he managed to do away with. The murder sequences themselves are disturbing mainly because the actresses are so convincing--their screams and pleas for mercy are heartrending. Nemec does his best to convey the unhinged monstrousness required, yet his emoting seems overly calculated. He's at his best in the quieter scenes, such as the ones between Bundy and the warden (Kane Hodder) who's about to lead him to the electric chair in the film's bookending segments, or the gripping courtroom sequence in which Bundy serves as his own defense lawyer and makes a mockery of the proceedings.

Michael Feifer, who directed Hodder that same year in B.T.K. and has made a number of other fact-based serial killer films, gives this one the look of an above-average made-for-TV movie. Interestingly, he shoots the early 70s stuff in a way that makes it seem to actually have come from that era, right down to the film stock and cheesy soundtrack songs. This segment of the movie looks as though it could've come right out of a Joe Sarno flick. Artistically, that's the most noteworthy thing about BUNDY: A LEGACY OF EVIL--otherwise, it's capably done but relatively unremarkable.

Other details of Bundy's story are sketched in, including an impromptu jailbreak, a brush with political activism, a stint manning a suicide hotline (where the real Bundy would meet future true-crime author Ann Rule), and a reunion with his college flame Stephanie (the very cute Jen Nikolaisen) which, though fictionalized, results in one of the film's most effective moments. Bundy's infamous rampage through a girls' dormitory is documented in predictably bloody fashion. The final act, of course, consists of Bundy's execution in the electric chair. Feifer, I suspect, was trying for some of the impact of the last minutes of IN COLD BLOOD here. The results are much less effective, yet the sequence does come off pretty well.

How much of Bundy's behavior was simply a deliberate choice to do evil as opposed to the actions of someone incapable of controlling his warped impulses? In the film, a Ted Bundy still hoping for a reprieve puts much of the blame on pornography and other outside influences. Hodder's warden doesn't buy it: "You're not mental. You're not deranged. You're the most normal, intelligent man I've ever had on death row." I think Corin Nemec's performance would have been more effective if he'd played Bundy more like that instead of always trying to make it obvious to us that the guy's a total loon, because we already know that.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS -- DVD review by porfle

I had a problem with THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS right off the bat, namely that it was directed by Fred Durst. Why the heck should I want to waste my time watching some lame flick by the frontman for Limp Bizkit? Fortunately, though, this feeling began to fade as soon as it became clear that the guy knows what he's doing behind the camera. His direction is sharp, unobtrusive, and efficient. He gets style points for coming up with an impressive shot now and then, such as the long take in the party scene early on. And he doesn't make his camera guys dance around like they have to pee really bad. So, Durst is good--no problem there.

After a brief New York prologue in which nerdy Charlie Banks (Jesse Eisenberg) secretly rats to the cops on neighborhood tough guy Mick Leary (Jason Ritter) for almost killing a couple of guys at a party, we get transported to a nice ivy-covered university campus somewhere in Rhode Island. It's here that Charlie and his childhood buddy Danny (Chris Marquette) are going about their lives as studious dorm mates, when suddenly Mick shows up looking for a place to lay low for a few days.

Charlie, worried that this brawny, unstable mook might smell a rat, finds Mick's presence even more unpleasant when he starts moving in on the girl of his dreams, Mary (Eva Amurri), and she responds to Mick's bad-boy charms. Making things worse is the fact that Mick hates rich kids, and of course Charlie and Danny have just started hanging out with the poster boy for the idle rich, Leo (Sebastian Stan), who thinks it's fun to spend 200 grand on a small yacht so that they can all play pirates.

Thus, we wait on pins and needles for this volatile situation to erupt into shocking and needless violence, which, of course, it eventually does, just as Charlie and Mary very obviously foreshadow while discussing "The Great Gatsby." Until then, we observe Mick interacting with these normal college kids and try to understand what makes Mick tick. We know he's had a rough upbringing--"no father, sketchy mother" as the police describe it--and that he's got a serious anger management problem. When we first see him back in New York he's admired by the other guys and fawned over by the girls, but only for his ability to cripple anyone who crosses him.

The sad thing is, he can be a pretty charming guy when he isn't enraged. Not only does he seem to yearn to fit in with Charlie's wealthy, intelligent friends, but he apparently wants to be friends with normal, nerdy Charlie. During all of this, though, he's like a wolf palling around with a flock of sheep, and Charlie knows it as well as we do.

Jason Ritter wisely plays Mick without the standard tough-guy act, which makes the character a lot more interesting and unpredictable. The movie takes place in the 70s and 80s, and the first time we see him he looks more like he just stepped off the disco floor than out of an alleyway. Later he adopts the preppy look after Leo gives him some of his old clothes. Ritter is good at conveying Mick's hair-trigger demeanor and keeping us on edge every time a drunken Leo gets too annoying or a romantic encounter with Mary starts to get too physical. Jesse Eisenberg, who reminds me a little of a young Mike Kellin, is also very good as Charlie, and the rest of the cast does a great job with their characters as well.

The DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment is 1.78: 1 anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital sound. Subtitles are available in both English for the hearing-impaired and Spanish. There's an interview featurette, "Conversations Behind 'The Education of Charlie Banks'", and a commentary track featuring Durst and Ritter, which is interesting although they sometimes have a little trouble articulating what they want to say.

Much of the movie is about Mick's efforts to be a part of this group of people for whom he also feels a deep-seated resentment. It's sad that under different circumstances, he might very well have been a bright college student with a future instead of a blunt instrument with a bad attitude. Charlie's education, thanks to Mick, is a tortured process of dealing with complex emotions and relationships, and doing the right thing despite grave risks. THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS is a mature work that bodes well for everyone involved--especially Fred Durst, who doesn't just have to be that guy from Limp Bizkit anymore.

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Upcoming Blue Undergound BLU-RAY Titles Announced


Here's a full-on Exclusive
Alright, not only are BU releasing NY RIPPER in the future, they're releasing a whole host more onto Blu-Ray. In the latest issue of Fangoria (30th Anniversary Edition), the back cover contains a huge spread from BLUE UNDERGROUND saluting Fangoria on their 30th Anniversary. They discuss a variety of things, including their forthcoming Blu-Ray titles. The releases announced are the following:

The Crazies
Toolbox Murders
NY Ripper
Let Sleeping Corpses Die
Daughters of Darkness
Vampyres
Blood Splattered Bride
Maniac: 30th Anniversary SE


Seems like its going to be a FANTASTIC lineup!
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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Looking for a Good Horror Movie For Only 10 Bucks? Check Out Andy Copp's Quiet Nights of Pain and Blood!

If you've been looking for a horror film that takes a look at what the War in Iraq, or any war for that matter can do to the psyche of a man, than look no further! Award Winning Director Andrew Copp has recently released for sale his latest horror film Quiet Nights of Pain and Blood. What happens when a solider is trained to kill, but they never trained him to stop! Find out in Quiet Nights of Pain and Blood! It's only $10 at Diabolik DVD.

http://www.diabolikdvd.com/category/Horror-%5Bsl%5D-Thriller/Quiet-Nights-of-Pain-and-Blood-DVD-(NTSC-Region-1).html

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Monday, June 1, 2009

"MERLIN AND THE BOOK OF BEASTS" Materializing on DVD August 25th from Anchor Bay Entertainment


James Callis and Laura Harris star in a new and exciting interpretation of a classic fantasy

The age of knights was one of chivalry and honor, of magic and mystery, of passion and betrayal. And now that age has passed -- perhaps forever. What remains is a shadowy world of fear and terror.

Anchor Bay Entertainment, the undisputed leader in cult and classic horror home entertainment, will release the much-anticipated SciFi Channel premiere Merlin and the Book of Beasts, starring James Callis and Laura Harris, on DVD on Aug. 25, 2009. Pre-book is July 23, 2009, with an SRP of $19.97.

Welcome to the dark side of Camelot. King Arthur is gone. The Round Table is in ruins, and a rogue sorcerer has unleashed a reign of monstrous terror upon the land. For the court’s last remaining knights, their only hope lay in the powers of the now-bitter and broken wizard Merlin (James Callis, “Battlestar Galactica,” Bridget Jones’ Diary). But can a once-great man of magic defeat a legion of creatures that includes Dragon Soldiers, Death Hawks and Gorgons, and reclaim the land? Merlin and the Book of Beasts is directed by Warren P. Sonoda (Sleeptalkers, 5ive Girls, Coopers’ Camera).

Laura Harris (“Dead Like Me,” “24”) co-stars in this head-spinning epic adventure that puts a savage new spin on the saga of Excalibur, Mordred, and the ultimate battle between Merlin and the Book of Beasts.

Street Date: August 25, 2009
Pre-Book: July 23, 2009
Catalog #: P2353
UPC #: 0 1313 82353-8 1
Run Time: 92 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP: $19.97

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