The Ultimate Collection Featuring All Four ALIEN Films Hatches On Blu-ray from October 25 With Never-Before-Seen Bonus Material And The Debut Of The Exclusive and Groundbreaking Interactive Experience, MU-TH-UR Mode

Fans Had A Chance To Board The Nostromo During Comic-Con At Booth #3528 And Enter The Hibernation Chamber Of The Doomed Intergalactic Crew

Sometimes, the scariest things come from within. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents one of the most successful and terrifying film franchises of all time when the ALIEN ANTHOLOGY debuts on Blu-ray for the first time ever from October 25 internationally and on October 26 in North America. All four ALIEN films have been reinvigorated for an intense Blu-ray high-definition viewing experience. The release also marks the debut of MU-TH-UR Mode, a fully interactive companion that takes the extensive materials in the ALIEN ANTHOLOGY and puts them in the user’s hand – connecting fans to special features on all six discs and instantly providing an index of all available ALIEN content, including over 60 hours of special features and over 12,000 images.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY is a truly unique home entertainment experience. For the first time ever, the studio has united the material from every home video release of the ALIEN saga including the 1991/1992 laserdisc releases, the 1999 “Legacy” release and 2003’s groundbreaking ALIEN QUADRILOGY release into one complete Blu-ray collection. The set also includes two versions of each film and over four hours of previously unreleased exclusive material such as original screentests of Sigourney Weaver prior to filming the original ALIEN, unseen deleted scenes, thousands of still photographs from the Fox archives, the previously unseen original cut of “Wreckage and Rage: The Making of ALIEN3,” and much, much more.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY will be available for a suggested retail price of $139.99 U.S. / $179.99 Canada. Prebook is September 22.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY is just one aspect of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s yearlong campaign to honor the studio’s 75th birthday. This year the division will debut several select fan-favorites on Blu-ray for the first time ever including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Last of the Mohicans and The Sound of Music.

ALIEN ANTHOLOGY
Street Date: October 26, 2010
Screen Format: ALIEN: Widescreen 2.35:1/ALIENS: Widescreen 1.85:1/ALIEN3: Widescreen 2.35:1/ALIEN RESURRECTION: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: ALIEN: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.1 Dolby Surround, English Dolby Surround, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital/ALIENS: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.1 Dolby Surround, English Dolby Surround, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital/ALIEN3: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital/ALIEN RESURRECTION: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Technorati Tags: Alien, Anthology, The Complete Anthology, Bluray, Sigorney Weaver, SciFi

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 5, 2010
DVD Release Date: June 1, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $

I don’t get a chance to go to the movie theater all that often, but I did get the chance to see Alice in Wonderland in IMAX 3D. I must admit, I’m not in love with IMAX 3D, for the mere fact that my chair has to be parked close to the front of the theater, and I’m so close that objects walk through me and fly at me in terrifyingly close proximities. Hey, some people dig it. I’m not in love with it. That being said, I dug the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland.

I have a confession. When I was a little kid, I saw a television version of Alice in Wonderland. It featured a lot of big names including Carol Channing and Sammy Davis Jr. I watched that movie so many times growing up, but for a long time, I was terrified of the Jabberwocky in this movie. I was a mere four years old, at the time this movie was released. Years later, I laugh at myself for what looked like nothing more than a bunch of plastic garbage bags sealed together, but to my four year old mind, the Jabberwocky was terrifying. In the 2010 Alice in Wonderland, the Jabberwocky has come to CGI life with an exceedingly terrifying appearance. This is much more nightmare worthy than the Jabberwocky of my day.

The performance by Johnny Depp, as the Mad Hatter, is excellent. He brings this eccentric, mad side to the Hatter, and yet he makes him completely likable, as well. Depp and Burton work well together. This is why I believe they have partnered up for so many movies. Burton helps to bring out the best in Depp. He also does a nice job of making Bonham Carter completely unlikable, and the big head for her character was a nice touch. Sure, she is his partner, but let’s be honest. Bonham Carter can act. I also want to bring up Anne Hathaway. If I’ve learned anything from years of theatre classes, it’s about various periods in history. The daintiness of Hathaway reminded me of our own performances of The Country Wife in my spring Classic Styles class. Hathaway is radiant as an actress in this, but she deserves kudos also for the obvious work that went into her physical portrayal of her character. It added a special something to the White Queen character.

The story is a mishmash of many different incarnations of Lewis Carroll’s original story and it’s many adaptations. Do not come into this expecting to see a story that follows the book. Alice is no longer a child. This explores her return to Wonderland as adult pressures start to pile upon her, making her run away from her obligations and thus re-falling down the rabbit hole. If you expect to see a by the book adaptation of this, you will be disappointed. However, never before have the characters of Wonderland been portrayed in such a visually sharp way.

The Alice in Wonderland Plot
Charles Kingsleigh (Csokas) is having a meeting with several men about investing in a crazy, new, business endeavor. The meeting is interrupted by six year old Alice (Challen), who has had another bad dream. The dreams are always the same, and reflect her time in the fictional Wonderland. After her father reassures her it is just a dream, and she can always pinch herself to wake herself up, she is ready to go back to sleep.

The scene skips forward to 19 year old Alice (Wasikowska), in a carriage with her mother, Helen (Duncan). They are heading to the home of Lord and Lady Ascot. Their son, Hamish, a big toothed, ginger, with digestive problems, is planning to propose to Alice. Alice, not down with the Victorian era conventions she’s supposed to uphold, isn’t sure she is ready to be married, though her sister, Margaret believes it is for the best. She doesn’t want Alice to end up like their batty, old maid, Aunt Imogene, after all.

While people are talking to Alice at what is to be her engagement party, she sees a White Rabbit with a pocket watch.Unable to resist, she follows it into a rabbit hole, and falls down a long way into a room. There are many locked doors and only one way to get out. With the key that goes to a tiny door. After drinking and eating and drinking and shrinking and growing and shrinking, Alice is able to exit into Underland. Once there, Alice learns that a girl named Alice, has been there before, though Alice is certain she’s not the right one.

With the Red Queen (Bonham Carter) ruling Underland with a dictator-like iron fist, Underland has been under her oppressive hand for years. The future has been dictated on the oraculum. The Alice who called this place Wonderland will destroy the Jabberwocky with the vorpal sword, and restore the White Queen (Hathaway) back to power.

Whether Alice is the Alice of the prophesy does not seem to matter. The Red Queen’s henchman, Stayne (Glover) and her army of playing cards have her set in their sights for capture. It is up to the Mad Hatter (Depp), Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Lucas), the Cheshire Cat (Fry), White Rabbit (Sheen), Blue Caterpillar (Rickman), and a selection of other allies to the White Queen to help Alice discover her true destiny and who she really is, after all.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
If all Blu-Rays were as beautiful as Alice in Wonderland I wouldn’t ever have to bother with recommending them because you would just know that you had to buy the good movies. Unfortunately, this has not happened yet, but while we wait, we have the quality of our dreams right here. The majority of this movie utilizes digital shots and the source material is as pristine as you would expect a new film to be. This allows for an absolutely flawless picture. Everything offers extremely vivid colorizations and amazing detail. Even the scenes that were shot in live film look fabulous. However, it is the Wonderland scenes, the digitally enhanced moments, that truly stand out and leave one in awe.

Part of the world is completely dark and dreary like you would expect one of Burton’s worlds to be. Other parts are filled with colors and rich works of art set to screen. In any case, this transfer is nothing less than a feast for the eyes. There are no compression errors and I did not spot any type of error anywhere in the visual portion of the film. Once again Disney and Burton have put together a shockingly beautiful film.

Like the video track, the audio is here to make sure that you have an amazing time with a completely involving soundtrack. Strength and power abound throughout this audio presentation and yet there manages to be subtlety in all of the right moments. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless track that is used would be nice for all Blu-Ray presentations. The dialogue is always crisp, clean, and easy to hear no matter how loud the bustling sound effects are or how powerful the music score tends to be when it takes off in some moments.

Every bit of background noise offers a whole new layer. The flies buzz in your ears causing you to want to swat them away. The Jabberwocky roars and you sit at attention watching in awe. It truly is an amazing presentation. Partly because every detail has been considered and it shows and partly because it seems to be absolutely free of defects, which is rare. Dolby tracks are also included in French and Spanish. English, French, and Spanish subtitles have also been included.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
I have to say I was shocked to see that Alice in Wonderland was missing some key special features. Sure, you get the Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital copy. Yes, there are about twelve featurettes here. However, can you believe that a commentary is missing?!? Of all the commentaries that I would have liked to hear, this would be one of them. Where are all of the Alice in Wonderland documentaries or anything at all relating to the history? Nowhere. There are none of those things here.

You get some new featurettes and some previews and that’s about all. The featurettes are split and placed under two specific headings. The information for both sets is listed below.

Wonderland Characters:
All of these featurettes, six in total, consist of information about the characters in Wonderland. Four of the featurettes, Finding Alice, The Mad Hatter, The Red Queen, and The White Queen all offer interviews with the respective actors. Time Lapse: Sculpting the Red Queen takes a look at the three hours that Helena Bonham Carter spent in the make-up chair. Of course, this segment only lasts for a few minutes. Finally, there is The Futterwacken, which gives you the low down on the dance that The Matter Hatter performs near the end of the movie. These are all fairly fluffier than I was expecting. They are alright to watch, but they aren’t anything spectacular.

Making Wonderland:
In the last six featurettes you get about 20 minutes worth of material that looks at all that went into making this film. Scoring Wonderland looks at Danny Elfman, the composer, doing what he does best. Effecting Wonderland is dedicated to the visual effects that went into bringing this visual masterpiece to life. Meanwhile, in Stunts of Wonderland you get a chance to see the physical work that each actor put into his role and what the stunt people did and went through. In Making the Proper Size, you get a chance to see how digital manipulation allowed Alice to shrink or grow given the scene. You also get a chance to see how it plays a part in making Helena Bonham Carter appear as if she has a huge head. The lasts two featurettes, Cakes of Wonderland and Tea Party Props are dedicated to production design.

Finally, there is a selection of previews for Beauty and the Beast, James and the Giant Peach, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and other films.

Bonus Features: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Alice in Wonderland is a visual masterpiece. Whether you will like the actual movie depends on how you feel about Tim Burton. Burton has his fans and his foes. I don’t mind his unique film vision. I do not feel this is a remake, but rather a re-imaging and extension of the story by Lewis Carroll. This exceptional take on what happens after Alice has already been to Wonderland once, is fun. However, since many do not love Burton, I recommend unless you like his previous films, you should rent before buying, just to make sure it is your cup of tea.

Overall Rating: 4.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Alan Rickman, Marton Csokas, Disney, Movie Review, Bluray, BD Review, Alice in Wonderland

Release Info:
Original Release: March 23, 2008
DVD Release Date: July 14, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $12.99

I’ve never read anything about the Discworld. I am not exactly sure why. Maybe because I’m not British. At one point, I was a vociferous reader, so it seems like I would have come across these books, but alas I never did. Watching this made for television British adaptation of the books has made me interested about Sir Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series of books. The stories seem to be right up my alley.

The Color of Magic is actually a two part adaptation of the first two novels in the Discworld series. Part One chronicles “The Color of Magic” and Part Two continues through the story for “The Light Fantastic.” Having no personal knowledge of the Discworld, I cannot testify as to whether this adaption is faithful to the books. I can tell you that many fans claim it does follow the stories for the most part, but obvious chunks had to be cut out to condense the books down to fit a logical timeline. Otherwise, the movie might have been a massive affair, more than six or seven hours long if not more!

Going into this review I knew absolutely nothing about this movie. I didn’t even know who the actors were in this until I popped in the DVD. I can say that I’m pleasantly surprised by who is in this. I know that fans of the book complained about the casting of Sean Astin as Twoflower. I don’t know how he is portrayed in the books, but I like Astin and I believe he played the zany character well. For the world, he was rather ‘exotic’ as the tourist, even if he wasn’t off Asian descent, as many fans of the book assumed Twoflower was.

David Jason was very good as Rincewind. I know there were rumblings about his selection, as well, due to his age. Again, I haven’t read the books. As someone not involved in the Discworld prior to viewing this DVD, all I can judge is by Jason’s performance in this movie. He was excellent. Terry Pratchett has also supported the casting of David Jason and Sean Astin. Since he created the Discworld, he should have the final say in who plays his characters. In these cases, he approved.

The supporting cast includes Tim Curry, Christopher Lee, Jeremy Irons, and Brian Cox, to name a few. Tim Curry steals his scenes, but the rest of the cast is great, too. I really enjoyed Lee’s voicing of Death. The plot for this two-part movie flows well. It’s an interesting story, one that stays pretty faithful to the books. There were obvious parts of the books that had to be cut out, just to maintain a decent length, but I don’t feel that this makes the movie any less enjoyable.

The Color of Magic Plot
On the back of a giant turtle, the Great A’Tuin, sits four elephants. These elephants hold up the Discworld. One of the most populated areas of the Discworld is Ankh-Morpork. This is home of the Unseen University, a higher institute of learning for wizards. The protagonist of this story is a wizard by the name of Rincewind (David Jason). Rincewind has been at the Unseen University for the past 40 years. He appears to be a bumbling idiot to those in charge at the University, but really he’s a funny character.

Rincewind is kicked out of the university because he hasn’t learned any spells in the past 40 years. The University believes it is from lack of effort/initiative on Rincewind’s part, but in fact, it is later revealed that Rincewind has one of the eight spells from the most powerful spellbook ever, the Octavo, in his head, and he is incapable of learning any additional spells because the other spells fear being in the same head as the Octavo 8.

Rincewind meets an interesting fellow at the local inn, Twoflower (Sean Astin). Twoflower is from the Discworld’s Counterweight Continent. He is the Discworld’s first tourist. He is travelling with excessive amounts of gold, something that is abundant where he is from, but is rare in Ankh-Morpork. The gold attracts Rincewind, who agrees to be his guide around the city, for a small fee, of course.

Rincewind isn’t the only one who takes notice of Twoflower. The innkeeper and other unsavory individuals want the gold. When they try to dispose of Twoflower, Rincewind becomes more than just a guide. Twoflower’s luggage also protects him. It is magical, made of a special pearwood, and it can move around on its own legs.

When fire breaks out in Ankh-Morpork, Rincewind must help Twoflower escape. They travel across the Discworld, going on several adventures. Rincewind, in particular, faces Death (voiced by Christopher Lee), at nearly every turn, but because he has the Octavo spell, he is saved time and again. Eventually, the two end up in Krull, at the edge of the Discworld. This is where a group of scientists have set out to discover the gender of the great turtle, and they’ve thrust Rincewind and Twoflower into the midst of this great yet potentially life ending adventure.

Back at Unseen University, Ymper Trymon (Tim Curry), the same wizard who got Rincewind expelled, has power on his mind. The way to gain power is by killing other wizards and steeling their pointy shoes. Trymon works his way through the administration by killing, all with the goal of becoming the Archchancellor. Of course, he has bigger goals, that involve the Octavo and the spells within it.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality for The Color of Magic is pretty good, especially since this was originally a made for TV movie. The Color of Magic is presented at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio in anamorphic widescreen. The picture is clear, with very little fuzz. There is a sharpness to the image. The color palette is vibrant, with solid, sharp black levels. The level of saturation provides for a high-quality production. There are some DVD issues, such as visible edge enhancements and the occasional compression error, but dirt and grain are kept to a minimum.

The menu on the The Color of Magic is bare bones. There are just two options, Play Movie and Scene Selection. I like to check out the audio options, but nothing was on the menu and there were no subtitles to be found. I had to look on the box to find out this was a Dolby Digital mix, and look on the web to find out that the main track is English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. While this audio track sounds good, there was no need for volume toggling, the music soundtrack was appropriate, and the sound effects made good use of the surround element, playing out mainly in the rare speakers, it’s disappointing to think that the hearing impaired will be unable to enjoy this delightful movie.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Unfortunately, there are zero bonuses included on this DVD.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If you like fantastical stories about imaginary worlds, interesting storylines, humorous, in depth characters, and great actors, The Color of Magic is well worth checking out. Fans of the Discworld should be happy with this adaptation, as it stays faithful to Pratchett’s work. For a TV movie, the quality of The Color of Magic is great. While this movie won’t be for everyone (especially those who like mindless action or romance films), this is one the whole family can enjoy together.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Color of Magic, Discworld, Terry Pratchett, Movie Adaptation, UK, David Jason, Sean Astin, Rincewind, Twoflower, Book Series, TV on DVD

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: 1982/1984/1986
DVD Release Date: May 12, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $29.99

Since I am not a big Star Trek fan I have not seen any of the movies. As a new viewer to the franchise, I felt that would give me a unique review angle. You see, I know the basic premise of the franchise and have seen some episodes, but I am pretty much a newbie to all of this. So many people will review Star Trek related items and know every last fact and figure associated with them, to the point where it will be shocking. That’s not the case with me. I did a little bit of research, but on the whole, I came into this review with virtually no Star Trek knowledge.

One of the things I was stumped by was the fact that this trilogy starts with the second movie in the Star Trek series. The movies included here are actually two, three, and four. I decided to look this up to find out the possible reason why one would not be added. At first I thought it had to do with the new Star Trek movie coming out, but I checked into it anyway. I think the reason has to do with Trekkie philosophy. Apparently, many rabid fans feel that the odd numbered movies are horrendous and the even numbered films are spectacular. Well, 1-3 would have meant two bad films in the bunch for them, but this way it’s only one. There could have been other reasons why, but I consider this to be the most interesting of all possible explanations.

It was incredibly interesting watching these movies because of the cast that is included in the films. You have your standards that everyone knows, but there were quite a few bonus cast members that I wasn’t expecting to see. Among those names were Catherine Hicks and Kirstie Alley. While the series, especially in the beginning (from what I can tell), seemed incredibly campy, it actually has a lot to offer. It’s safe to say that from a Science Fiction standpoint, the genre would not be where it is today without a franchises like this one.

As this is a trilogy fans of the franchise end up with three movies and three separate sets of special features. The plots will all be discussed separately and then the specific bonus features will be looked at on their own in the bonus section. The totals will be a reflection of the three combined offerings.

The Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy Plot

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Khan (Montalban) is liberated from prison that is located on a remote planet and now that he is free he has a course plotted for revenge. The plan is to make the man who left him in prison for 15 years pay. That man is Captain James Kirk (Shatner). Khan and his shipmates go after the Enterprise and a device that holds destructive power like the universe has never seen before.

Kirstie Alley plays a large co-starring role in this, which was something I found incredibly amusing. Of course, this was probably due to the fact that I wasn’t expecting her presence in this film. In any case, The Wrath of Khan is the most entertaining of the three films and it’s one of the best looking. It’s been restored and from what I can imagine it has never looked better than it does here.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
As you can guess from the title in this film, the crew is on a mission to find Spock…if he is even alive. Between Genesis and Khan, the Enterprise and it’s crew are all but broken. Everyone believes that Spock is dead, but they soon learn they could be wrong. When one of the crew senses life on Genesis, an investigation takes place. Kruge, the Klingon Commander creates an ambush to block the mission and cause as much trouble as possible.

Character development is the name of the game here, especially when it comes to Kirk and Spock. While the movie is a lot slower in terms of entertainment value, the character development is priceless. Seeing Christopher Lloyd and John Larroquette is also fun. However, I think the most interesting part is that the screams of Spock are handled by the voiceover God, Frank Welker.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
There is an unknown spacecraft that has entered Earth’s orbit. While it releases a signal, any attempts at determining what the signal means are fruitless. Still, Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are certain that they can fix this problem when no one else can. The Klingon ship that is under Enterprise control is taken back to rescue a humpback whale, in hopes that the animal can help to save the Earth.

The star here that I found most amusing was Catherine Hicks. This was by far the campiest of the three movies, with bad fish jokes and a cute love story between Kirk and the friendly biologist that is helping learn about the humpback. Despite it being kind of corny, it certainly looks good in this Blu-ray format.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
All three movies appear to have been remastered and are looking good. The 1080p resolution and 1.78:1 aspect ratio allow for clear, crisp movies for the most part. Things like compression errors are not an issue. The effects do appear to be less than amazing, but at the time these films were made, they were probably much more impressive than they are now. The blacks are not as strong as they need to be, but I am certain that they are better than they were on DVD. Many of the issues that accompany these films deal with the age of the films not a problem with the Blu-ray itself. All in all, the level of detail was high, everything was easy to see, and there wasn’t a whole lot to complain about.

The audio is handled, at least the English audio, in Dolby TrueHD 7.1. All the bells and whistles are here, providing the best soundtrack for Star Trek that you have ever heard. The dialogue comes through loud and clear. The special effects are not overly dramatic, but they definitely sound better than they ever have before this point. The same can be said about the music, too. A Spanish and a French track are also included courtesy of Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles have been included in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:

The Wrath of Khan:
You can expect a highly interesting, new commentary for this film courtesy of Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto. I cannot say what earlier commentaries were like, but this one was definitely worth the listen. I have always preferred commentaries that allow for a more conversational tone and with the additional person here that is exactly what you get. Fans that liked the original commentary will be glad to know that has been included, as well. Aside from the commentary there is a feature called the library computer that allows viewers to enjoy pop-up facts about a plethora of information in categories like culture, science, Starfleet Ops, planets, people, and plenty of other categories.

“Captain’s Log”: This nearly 30 minute featurette deals with issues faced by the crew concerning the plot. There are a number of interviews included from both actors and behind-the-scenes crew members.

“Designing Khan”: Coming in at a few minutes less than “Captain’s Log” this 24 minute feature offers interview time with the production designer, Joe Jennings. The costume designer, Robert Fletcher is also interviewed, as is the director and the art director. If you want to know anything about the design aspects of the film, this is an excellent place to start.

“Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”: Here you have all the information dealing with the animation and visual effects that occur in Khan. While the visual effects feel a lot cheesier than they once did, it is still fun to see how they did things back then.

“Star Trek Universe: The Novel Approach”: This is the second 30 minute featurette in the bunch. This time around there is interviews with Greg Cox and Julia Ecklar. Cox and Ecklar are known for writing books based on the series and films.

“James Horner: Composing Genius”: Despite being much smaller than a lot of the other featurettes, this ten minute featurette with James Horner was by far the most interesting featurette. It really captured Horner’s spirit and offered a great deal of information that fans should enjoy.

“A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban”: While “Horner” was informative, this is just plain touching. Meyer spends time talking about the wonderful legacy that Montalban has left behind and what a cool actor he really was.

“Collecting Star Trek”s Movie Relics”: Alec Peters hosts this featurette, which shows off some cool Star Trek collectables owned by Peters and other collectors.

“Starfleet Academy: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI”: Sarah Backhouse is here to talk about one of the more disturbing (at least to some people) aspects of the film. Compared to the other features, this is a mini-featurette, coming in at around three minutes long.

Kahn is finished up with some 1982 interviews by Shatner, Montalban, Nimoy, and Kelley, 13 storyboards, and a theatrical trailer. BD-Live also offers some trivia quizzes included and uploaded by other fans. You can also upload your own, if you wish.

To continue reading this review, Go To Page Two…

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: September 28, 1951
DVD Release Date: December 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $20.99

I know some might see this as a travesty, but before reviewing this in Blu Ray, I had never seen The Day The Earth Stood Still. I can see why this movie is a favorite amongst fans of old Sci Fi. I love old films and it’s actually pretty amazing how relatable the central theme of The Day The Earth Stood Still is to today’s audience. I believe we all could learn something from Klaatu and his message of peace.

It’s fitting that Fox released The Day The Earth Stood Still in Blu Ray in this time when Global Warming is threatening to destroy many of the Earth’s finest species. The movie holds a certain charm that can only be seen in those old Sci Fi films, that have rustic looking special effects, seemingly laughable at all the high tech performances that can be made today. Still, it isn’t the archaic special features, which were no doubt, revolutionary at the time this film was made, that make The Day The Earth Stood Still such a remarkable movie.Rather, it is the engaging story and the universal message, which tell the tale of this movie’s success.

The Day The Earth Stood Still isn’t going to be for everyone. If you survive on chick flicks and/or high-powered, action flicks this movie isn’t going to be your cup of tea. Likewise, the inherent message of this film will be lost upon many of the tweens of today. Still, the message is important enough that if you can look past all the silly 50′s-esque gadgetry, the film can easily be appreciated. The acting is solid (though sometime quite a bit over the top – as common for the genre in this era), the story is engagingly retro, and the entire film has a feel to it that draws a viewer in. Essentially, The Day The Earth Stood Still is the diminutive Sci Fi classic, fans of the genre won’t want to miss watching.

One thing that is fairly apparent from watching The Day The Earth Stood Still is how much the world has changed. The world was so trusting and open, even when the Earth was in danger of being attacked by hostile alien nations, upset at the poor care humans are taking of the Earth. Still, Klaatu was easily able to spend time with the young actor in the film, in a way that never could happen in this era. Think of the Clever family experiencing an alien invasion and that’s The Day The Earth Stood Still. While there is a common tie to today (the way we treat our Earth is bad) so much has changed, this film is a reflection of a much better time in our history.

The The Day The Earth Stood Still Plot
The story for The Day The Earth Stood Still begins with some fancy Sci Fi effects, which bring a spaceship into the center of a baseball field. The spaceship lands near the Lincoln Memorial. In fact, at one point you think it is going to hit it, but it doesn’t. An alien who looks remarkably like a human man, named Klaatu (Michael Rennie) emerges. By then, military troops have arrived. Klaatu has a mechanical bodyguard of sorts named Gort (Lock Martin). Gort follows him out of the ship.

Klaatu makes it clear his intentions are peaceful, but he is injured by a military man. The obliterating power of Gort then becomes apparent when he responds to Klaatu’s injury. Gort stands guard over the ship. Nothing can open him, shoot threw him or maim him. Klaatu is taken to the hospital where he is examined by doctors.

The government gets involved in the hospitalization of Klaatu. They want to take him away to a government facility. Klaatu only wants to talk to the President and the other leaders of the nations around the world. Unfortunately, because the government is not at peace with other nations, this is an impossible request. Klaatu cannot relay his message unless all the leaders of the other nations in the world are present. Klaatu has no choice but to escape from the hospital. He ends up escaping by pretending to be a normal, average citizen.

Klaatu finds a boarding house and takes a false name. At the boarding house is a very nice lady named Helen Benson (Patricia Neal). She has a 10-year-old son named Bobby (Billy Gray), who takes a fancy to Klaatu. Klaatu and Billy get along well. He takes Billy all around Washington DC. Here he learns that Billy’s father is dead. Klaatu and Billy visit the spaceship though Klaatu does not reveal who he really is. They also visit a professor who Klaatu believes can help him. With the US government desperate to find Klaatu he doesn’t have a lot of time to get his message out to the people who need to hear it.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
It’s always interesting to see a movie like The Day The Earth Stood Still on Blu ray. With the age factor being as old as it is (1951) you don’t see a lot of studios taking the leap for films like this into the Blu ray arena. If studios took the time to look at the older films that have been done up for Blu ray, they might get to adding more films to the lineup. The 1080p transfer here is far more stunning than you can imagine by looking at any screenshots. The detail is shocking. You can see the most minute detail and you can read the smallest bit of text with ease. It’s amazing how clear everything is. This is the kind of quality you’d expect from a newer film, not one over 50 years old. It’s just amazing to see and nothing said here will do it justice until you actually see it.

The sound is handled with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. It’s interesting to know that some added sound effects have been added into the original soundtrack. This does change the original soundtrack, though if you are not too familiar with the film it will be harder to notice this problem. The sound does get the job done otherwise and if you find it a distraction you can switch to the Dolby Digital mono track that has been included here. Other available tracks include Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in Spanish and French. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a number of features available for The Day The Earth Stood Still. Some of these have been ported over from the previous DVD version and other features are new for this specific transfer. The commentary with the director, trailers, newsreels, and still galleries are some of the ported material coming from the DVD. “The Making of The Day The Earth Stood Still” is also included in the ported material. Despite being brought over from another disc, this 70 minute documentary is certainly worth the watch. There is a lot of information here and it goes to show that the studio really went out of their way to make sure fans wouldn’t miss out on anything.

New features to the Blu-ray disc include “The Mysterious, Melodious Theremin” and “Main Title Live Performance.” Both of the supplements are interesting to watch if you’re interested in the score of the film. If you want to walk away from this film with as much information and understanding as possible, the following special features are all recommended as they will help enhance your viewing experience as much as possible, “Decoding Klaatu Barada Nikto: Science Fiction as Metaphor, A Brief History of Flying Saucers”, “The Astounding Harry Bates” and “Edmund North: The Man Who Made the Earth Stand Still.” A new audio commentary has been included that is certainly worth listening to. A reading of “Farewell to the Master” is handled by Jamison K. Price. A short documentary, “Race to Oblivion” is also worth a watch.

Things rap up with some Blu-ray specific, interactive features. “Gort Command” is actually a video game meant to serve as a firing range, shooter game. You play Gort and you fire your beam at human targets of varying distances. When comparing this game to any video game the results will suck. You won’t want to play this because games like these, on DVDs or Blu-rays are generally inferior to the real thing. Finally, “Interactive Theremin: Create your own Score” is kind of a mix of a keyboard and a computer game. A child would get bored with this one rather quickly and it’s not anything that will actually let you make music worth listening to.

Overall, this is an awesome set of features that includes plenty of bonus supplements, which are a delight to watch.

Bonus Features: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
With exceptional quality for a movie from 1951, if you love Sci Fi, especially old Sci Fi flicks you need to pick up a copy of The Day The Earth Stood Still in Blu Ray. I actually really enjoyed this film even if I did want to make occasional ‘boop boop’ space alien sounds every time I saw Klaatu’s ship. The social message, which applies even more so today, in this destructive, harmful world, is as pertinent now as it was when The Day The Earth Stood Still was being made. Get a copy of this, because you’ll want to watch it over and over again.

Overall Rating: 4.46 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: 20th Century Fox, Blu Ray Review, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Classic, Black and White, Alien

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 19, 1998
DVD Release Date: December 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99

I know The X-Files had, and still has, somewhat of a cult following. I wasn’t a member of the cult, but I did occasionally enjoy the show when it aired on Fox. I thought the show was well written and interesting, but I often forgot to watch it. I’m a bigger Sci Fi fan than I give myself credit for being. I’m not exactly sure why I never clicked with this show, but whenever I did catch it on television, I was glad to watch it.

The X-Files movie, also called Fight the Future, which is the movie tagline, was originally released in 1998. I didn’t see this film until now. I have to wonder what I was missing because this is great. The chemistry between Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) is a good enough reason to be enthralled with both the show and the movie, but it goes further than that. Both the movie and show really have a plot and it’s a good one!

The X-Files movie is supposed to take place between the 5th and 6th seasons of the show. This release in Blu Ray corresponds to what is being called the sequel to this film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe. This isn’t a sequel per se, as it is more of a sequel to the entire The X-Files television series. Either way, it’s good to have Mulder and Scully back at it, because they are pretty good at their jobs.

The X-Files seems to be well liked by fans of the series. Though I didn’t watch the series regularly, I have very few complaints about this movie. It kept me engaged throughout the majority of the film. The events of the plot were interesting. The acting is great. The direction is just as good. Everything comes together in a nice, neat package. I also enjoyed listening to the supplemental material and to actually hear the creators and actors share their vision for this project. Their goal was to take their television show to the big screen and I believe they succeeded.

The X-Files: Fight the Future Plot
Go back to 35,000 BC. In North Texas, the prehistoric era is shown at the beginning of The X-Files movie. Two neanderthals are traveling through harsh weather and even harsher terrain. When they enter a cave, they discover what might just be an alien. Not knowing the danger they are in, the men are separated. One stabs the alien and it bleeds out a black oil like chemical. After the chemical takes over the man the prehistoric period ends.

It’s present day Texas (1998 or so – at the time) and some kids are playing near their homes. Stevie (Lucas Black) falls into some sort of hole and there he finds the skull of a human. When he picks it up, the black oil from earlier seeps through the ground and around his feet. The black continues to wind up his legs. Traveling up his body, the black pours into his eyes, turning them black.

Stevie’s friends try to get help. As firemen enter the hole to save him, they disappear, and it is assumed the black oil seeps into them and takes over their bodies, too. This is too big and it has to be covered up. The government sends men in biohazard suits, semi-trailer trucks and they are led by Ben Bronschweig (Jeffrey DeMunn).

After the X-Files division was shut down, Scully and Mulder went their separate ways. Occasionally, they work together and they are first seen in the movie trying to help Darius Michaud (Terry O’Quinn), a SAC (Special Agent in Charge), and the FBI investigate a bomb threat in Dallas. Mulder heads to the building across the way and there he finds the bomb. He’s trapped in the room with the vending machine bomb and there is no way to stop it from exploding. Scully gets the building evacuated and they get Mulder out.

Darius Michaud is supposed to be trying to disarm the bomb, but the viewer learns he’s just going to sit there and let the building explode, with him in it, which it does. Mulder and Scully head to Washington D.C. together, because there were four victims in the building that never made it out. These victims were firemen and one little boy. They must go through separate hearings and may lose their jobs over this.

That night, Mulder meets Alvin Kurtzweil (Martin Landau) at the bar. He is a doctor who claims to be a friend of Mulder’s dad. He also knows that the victims who died were already dead before the bomb went off. The bomb was covering up the deaths and Mulder and Scully are going to be taking the fall for it. Mulder refuses to go down that way, so he and Scully go to the morgue where they can examine the bodies.

Scully discovers the victims died by something other than the bomb going off. Mulder leaves Scully there while he heads back to Dallas and she is almost caught, but she ends up joining him. She has discovered that the bodies were infected with an alien virus. Learning about Stevie, they believe the incidents are connected and they travel to Stevie’s home town. All evidence of what happened is gone and no one wants to talk about how the town got a new park, installed right over the hole where Stevie fell.

The two are certain they are being set up. The evidence to help them disappears. Scully is told she’ll be transferred to Salt Lake City, away from Mulder. She ends up getting hurt, and the secret of what’s going on lies deeper than Mulder could even realize. The journey to save the injured Scully will take Mulder to Antarctica and on a journey that pits him against an international organization with more power than he realized.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
While this is the first time that Fight the Future has been released on Blu-ray, this is not the first time it’s been available. The previous releases for Fight for Future did not come out looking good. Granted, one of them was nearly a decade ago, but still even by those standards they were lacking. Today the production quality appears to be much higher. When you think of it like this, the Blu-ray was destined to look amazing. Of course, it does look much better and it has elements of that blu-ray amazing quality, but it does occasionally feel as if it were lacking in comparison to other, brand new blu-ray titles. Presented in a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer with a 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, Fight the Future ends up looking good. The colors look strong and the grain and other problems are kept to a minimum. Even when things aren’t that great they aren’t annoying enough to be a big problem.

The audio is in good condition. Presented in a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack there is little to complain about here. There is excellent levels of dynamic sound and a crisp presentation all around. This is what you probably would expect from a modern day blu-ray presentation. This makes it even better since this isn’t a new movie. The sound effects run high on the noise and create a booming experience, the dialogue is easy to hear, and the music creates a dramatic effect. The quiet parts are nothing more than a hushed whisper. It’s a good presentation throughout where the audio is concerned.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is a small amount of special features that were on the previous DVD that were added to the blu-ray. In addition to this older content, a fair amount of new features have been added, as well. The older material begins with a audio commentary that includes Chris Carter and Rob Bowman. The two are recorded separately so there isn’t really a conversation like you might expect to hear in other commentaries. Additionally, this isn’t as exciting as you might expect. You hear about goals for the movie, but little else is truly talked about, so in some ways it feels like a wasted opportunity.

“The Making of the X-Files Movie” sounds like a making of, but ends up being more of a central marketing piece than anything. You have a chance to learn about the television show, what it took to make a movie that would work for X-File newbies, and what it would be like to bring this concept to film. There are also three theatrical trailers that are included in this section of the features.

Along with the new features, a new commentary with Chris Carter, Rob Bowman, Daniel Sackheim, and Frank Spotnitz has been included. The purpose of the commentary appears to be more promotional based than anything, as the new X-Files movie was released on the same day as this Blu-ray was. The commentary is able to be listened to separately or through the movie with Picture in Picture. It’s not bad to listen to though if you’re looking for anything more than mild entertainment, you won’t find it in this commentary.

An Alternate Bee Sting Scene is included, though funnily enough a bee sting is not included. In “Blackwood – The Making of the X-Files: Fight the Future” you end up seeing old interview materials. If you watch the making of that was listed above, you won’t be missing anything here. If you are wondering why it’s entitled “Blackwood” it’s because that was the fake name it was given to stop people from trying to sneak information about it and leak it.

Some basic offers such as a Visual Effects featurette, something on Scoring, a Gag Reel, and Stills are also included. The Visual Effects mainly explores the use of the CGI and the Scoring, naturally looks at the score that ranges from use of the synth to a full orchestra. The Gag Reel is the best of this small list of features as it is actually quite funny. The trailer for X-Files: I Want to Believe has been included, as well. Finally there is a D-Box motion code for people with furniture that is D-box equipped. If you don’t know what this means then yours isn’t equipped. If you do and it is then you can load this disc into a computer to create the shaking and various movements when there is action occurring on-screen.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The X-Files movie is decent in Blu Ray. If you’re a fan of the show, you should definitely pick this up. The Blu Ray quality is far superior to any other release, to date. So, upgrading is well worth the extra money you’ll pay. Even if you’ve never seen this show, if you enjoy Sci Fi, you should pick up a copy of The X-Files movie. I watched this with a friend who never watched the show and now they can’t wait to see what else Mulder and Scully have to offer. The X-Files Movie in Blu Ray is recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: X-Files, Fight the Future, Blu-ray Review, Sci-Fi, Movie, TV to Movie, Alien, Paranormal

Release Info:
Theatrical Release:‭ ‬July‭ ‬11,‭ ‬2008
DVD Release Date:‭ ‬October‭ ‬28,‭ ‬2008
Online Availability:‭ ‬Amazon

I remember back in the day when New Line Cinema was synonymous with horror titles.‭ ‬Over‭ ‬the years they have branched out considerably,‭ ‬putting out everything from blockbusters to chick flicks.‭ Journey to the Center of the Earth‭ ‬leans closer to the first option and much further from the second.‭ ‬People that are old enough to watch this should have an idea that it is based on the classic of the same name by Jules Verne.‭ ‬While some people shy away from literary based movies,‭ ‬this one contains at least a couple of notable celebrities and a fantasy based storyline that is sure to please fans of the genre.‭ ‬Finish things up with the option to watch in‭ ‬2D or‭ ‬3D and the basic specs are looking pretty good.

The key to enjoying this movie beyond a shadow of a doubt is to understand that this movie is far from perfect.‭ ‬I scratched my head trying to come up with a reason why they would put this movie out when they did.‭ ‬During a summer of blockbusters that were bigger and better,‭ ‬there was no way this film,‭ ‬with this plot,‭ ‬could ever compete.‭ ‬It didn‭’‬t compete.‭ ‬Many people passed it aside in order to‭ ‬watch the better options.‭ ‬Movie tickets aren‭’‬t cheap, after all.‭ ‬You go see the very best options and leave the rest to video.‭ ‬Now the question becomes, ‬whether or not this would even be worth watching or buying on DVD‭. ‬The answer all depends on how you rate your movies and the things that you get entertainment from.‭

If you prefer better acting than you do special effects and you require a decent,‭ ‬fairly worthy plot over the visually appealing aspects of film then you may be in trouble with this.‭ ‬I am not‭ ‬going to lie.‭ Journey‭ ‬looks amazing.‭ ‬I watched it with the glasses and without and it looked great both ways.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬if I go off of the story alone then there isn‭’‬t much here to even bother watching.‭ ‬I couldn‭’‬t shake the feeling that this movie was made just to make money without much real thought to making the movie shine.‭ ‬It‭’‬s possible they realized that the plot wasn‭’‬t all that, so they had to do everything they could in the special effects department.‭ ‬Whatever it was,‭ ‬the film requires you to be giving to enjoy it enough to watch it frequently.

When‭ Journey‭ ‬was at the theater I dismissed it completely.‭ ‬Watching‭ Journey‭ ‬on DVD offers a bittersweet experience.‭ ‬The effects kept me interested in the movie and will help it get a better review than it would have without them,‭ ‬but watching it and liking it is somewhat hard when I think about the issues that it has.‭ ‬I just keep trying to remind myself that I had a good,‭ ‬albeit mindless time,‭ ‬so I don‭’‬t have too much to complain about.‭ ‬This is never going to be the best fantasy movie out there,‭ ‬but it can serve a purpose if you let it.

The‭ Journey to the Center of the Earth‭ ‬Plot‭
The story for‭ Journey to the Center of the Earth‭ ‬is fairly simple to comprehend.‭ ‬It‭’‬s not at all hard to understand.‭ ‬The film revolves around Trevor‭ (‬Fraser‭)‬.‭ ‬He works in his brother‭’‬s lab studying volcanoes.‭ ‬While things were good at some point,‭ ‬they have taken a downward turn and his brother‭’‬s long disappeared, so the‭ ‬lab is going to close.‭ ‬When it seems that nothing could get worse,‭ ‬he realizes that his nephew,‭ ‬Sean‭ (‬Josh Hutcherson‭ ‬-‭ Bridge to Terabithia‭) ‬is coming for a ten day visit.‭

Trevor and Sean do not appear to have too much in common other than their‭ ‬interest for their missing relative.‭ ‬While things look pretty bleak on the bonding front,‭ ‬Sean brings some of his father‭’‬s things,‭ ‬which gives the two,‭ ‬something to talk about.‭ ‬One of the things the guys discover in the classic Verne novel,‭ Journey to‭ ‬the Center of the Earth‭‬.‭ ‬After finding the book and the notes along with it they realize that it’s pretty important that they go to the place that is described in the notes.‭ ‬Apparently,‭ ‬Trevor’s brother believed that the world that Verne described was real.‭ ‬This leads the two men on a journey to find the truth.‭

The two men go on a journey that takes them places that they never imagined.‭ ‬A tour guide is meant to lead them on their journey,‭ ‬but after they end up trapped,‭ ‬they manage to find an underground world near the center of the Earth.‭ ‬As you might expect from the title of the movie,‭ ‬it is remarkably similar to the world that Verne describes in his novel.‭

The area is amazing.‭ ‬It‭’‬s filled with species that no longer inhabit the Earth and beautiful‭ ‬plants unlike anything they are used to.‭ ‬They are even able to discover the mystery of what happened to their loved one.‭ ‬While it seems that the area appears to be‭ ‬perfect,‭ ‬it soon becomes obvious that they will eventually need to leave or they will end up dead.

Like I said,‭ ‬the story itself is pretty simple.‭ ‬Some of the moments are incredibly crafted and some of them are so obviously done with a green screen that you cannot help but roll your eyes.‭ ‬At the end of the day,‭ ‬it slides by as not terrible.‭ ‬It‭’‬s entertaining for what it‭’‬s worth,‭ ‬I‭ ‬just‭ ‬don‭’‬t‭ ‬think that‭ ‬I‭ ‬will ever be able to call‭ ‬it good.‭

Storyline/Plot:‭ [‬rating:3‭]
Replayability:‭ [‬rating:3‭]
Acting:‭ [‬rating:3‭]
Directing:‭ [‬rating:3‭]

Audio/Visual:‭
Journey is shown in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and anamorphic widescreen. The film looks great for the most part. The widescreen looks considerably better than the fullscreen version, but that could just be a personal opinion. The DVD comes with 3D glasses so you can enjoy the film the way you were meant to, but there is also an adequate 2D version included. That way you don’t have to have or use the glasses. Personally, I preferred the 2D version myself. I think it’s because I’m not a huge fan of the glasses. The effects were interesting, but I doubt I will be putting those glasses on again for this movie anytime soon. When it comes to the quality the colors were amazing and the picture was as close to flawless as you can get. There might be problems with the movie as a whole, but they certainly aren’t with the picture quality.

Another excellent part of this DVD comes in the sound quality. The Dolby Digital 5.1 doesn’t have any problems. The soundtrack is rich and full bodied. The sound is spread evenly through the channels to create a good, even sound throughout the entire movie. A Spanish movie track is also included with the DVD. Subtitles are available in both English and Spanish.

‭Visual:‭ [‬rating:5‭]
Audio:‭ [‬rating:5‭]

Bonus Features:‭
The bonus section for Journey offers a few things that might be of mild interest to diehard fans. If you’re not in this category though you may not be too interested in what is here. Things get movie with an audio commentary. The commentary features the director and Brendan Fraser. It’s not bad, but not entirely engaging either. Some interesting facts are shared and the two men are entertaining, with most of the talking being done by Fraser.

Three featurettes are included in the bonus section. “A World Within Our World” lasts for about ten minutes and is narrated by the female lead in the movie, Anita Briem. This featurette includes interviews and looks at the theory that Earth has a hollow core. This is followed up by “Being Josh,” which profiles the young actor, Josh Hutcherson, and shows what it was like for him to work on Journey. This was probably my favorite featurette to watch because Hutcherson seems like a good kid. The final featurette is called “How to Make Dinosaur Drool.” Kids will love this featurette that shows how the slime-like substance was made.

There are also a couple of activities, “Ride the Mine Car” and “Bat the Fish.” Each activity plays by you pressing the DVD remotes directional buttons. The games aren’t very exciting considering they are relatively similar and not too fast paced. DVD games that are added to movies usually aren’t the best so this was no big surprise. A digital copy of the movie is also included. The final thing in the bonus section are previews for Get Smart, Speed Racer and Star Wars: Clone Wars.

Bonus Features‭‬:‭ [‬rating:2.5‭]

Bottom Line:‭
Journey to the Center of the Earth looks and sounds great, but it is lacking in other areas. The acting works as much as it can, but the film just doesn’t stack up to others from the summer or from the genre. If you like those mildly entertaining, popcorn kind of movies then you should be good with this. However, if you require something more you might find this somewhat disappointing. You may want to rent this one first.

‭[‬rating:overall‭]

[tags‭] ‬DVD Review,‭ Journey to the Center of the Earth, Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Jules Verne, Movie, 3D [‬/tags‭]

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: N/a
DVD Release Date: August 5, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon: $16.99

Watching a direct to video movie when you haven’t seen the first two movies that came before it in the franchise can be interesting to say the least. Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is one of those movies that I would have never thought to pick up without the coercion of being a movie reviewer. How much you like this version of Starship Troopers 3 will depend largely on how much you like the franchise as a whole.

In most cases, the direct to DVD movie that is part of a franchise is a quick buck film. People that liked the first film are likely to watch it, which is ready made money for the studio that doesn’t have to spend a lot of time or money making the film. Generally, this means that the film is of a lesser quality, but if the first film was well made, this could lead to people watching the others regardless of the quality in hopes that they will live up to the first movie. Unfortunately, I cannot say how this Starship Troopers rates in comparison with the others that came before it, though I can say that in most cases the sequels are a poor representation of the first film.

The Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Plot
Colonel John Rico (Casper Van Dien) supervises the planetary outpost that holds the large bugs off with automatic fences. Soon Lola Beck (Jolene Blalock) and Dix Hauser (Boris Kodjoe) join him along with Sky Marshall Anoke who is somewhat like the celebrity of the group. Once everyone has met up the power goes out and things get a little crazy. In the midst of everything going out of whack, Lola, Anoke, and some others manage to escape, but when all is not well they have to perform a crash landing on a planet that is anything but friendly.

Holly Little (Marnette Patterson) and her tribe manage to get on Lola’s nerves a bit. Holly has a tendency to pray and sing too loud. Anoke knows how to play the game though and proclaims that this is the place of the one true God. Lola doesn’t care about God either way at this point, though she does notice that the bug attackers aren’t where they normally are and there is an unusually large, unspecified breed of insect in the desert area

After Dix saves Rico from the trouble he is in back where everything started. It is left up to them and a few others to go on what could be an impossible rescue mission. Using the Marauder weapons technology may be the only thing that will work against new and old races of giant bugs.

I don’t know what the first two movies were like, but this one didn’t impress me much. The acting was basic, if not annoyingly stale. The effects were borderline kindergarten, the director couldn’t direct his way out of a Happy Meal box. If that wasn’t enough, I’d have to say he couldn’t write (he wrote all three movies) a well received greeting on a card. This was an all around sad production and it leaves me scratching my head as to why Sony would even put their name on such loathsome garbage.

Storyline/Plot: 0.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 0.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Let’s ignore for a minute that the special effects were cookie cutter and that hurt the visual enjoyment significantly. All in all, the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen looked just fine. As a newer movie, there should be little compression errors, a color palette that pleases the eye, and no grain. All of these things were present or not as should have been the case. Like I said, it was the special effects that would have hurt the visual quality because the CGI was just downright pathetic and there is no nice way to put that.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 comes in both English and French languages. I have to admit, the visual quality worked out a lot better than the audio. Many of the special sound effects transferred ridiculously and you were unable to hear various sounds and dialogue as effectively as you should have. I heard people speaking, but I couldn’t tell what words were coming out of their mouths. In addition to the two basic languages, viewers can also take advantage of Closed Captioning and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 1 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a few special features here, though in most cases they are nothing that I would bother writing home about. You can take your pick of commentaries from the filmmaker’s commentary and the commentary with Ed Neumeier and actors, Jolene Blalock and Casper Van Dien. The commentaries tell you some about the motivation for the movie though these are not incredibly informative for the most part. In some spots, the commentaries were actually better than the movie.

Starship Troopers 3 also offers two featurettes, “Evolution: The Bugs of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder” and “Enlist: Marauder’s Mobile Infantry.” Finally there is an extended version of the music video “It’s a Good Day to Die.” I am only thankful that there were so few considering the bad quality of this film. I honestly don’t think I could have sat through any more of them.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I did not see the first two Starship Troopers movies and now I can say, if they were anything like this I never will. Only the hugest fan of this series is going to find this worth watching. I like Sci-Fi, but this was just a lower budget waste of film. The writing was poor, the effects were useless, and nothing came together like it should have. You’d be best to skip this one altogether.

Overall Rating: 1.07 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Casper Van Dien, Jolene Blalock, Stephen Hogan, Boris Kodjoe, Amanada Donohoe, Marnette Patterson, Edward Neumeier, DVD, DVD Review, Sci-Fi, Giant Bugs, Starship Troopers, Marauder

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: February 27, 1998
DVD Release Date: July 29, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon, Wal-Mart

Back when Dark City came out in 1998 the film received a large amount of mixed reviews. The reason for this is mainly that the film is on the more obscure side. It’s one of those movies that you need to watch closely and that gets better each time you watch it. There is also the possibility that the people watching it just didn’t get the point of the film beyond the entertainment that they felt it lacked. Critics either loved it or hated it and many movie fans followed suit. One critic felt that it was the best movie of the year. That critic, Roger Ebert, would eventually go on to record a DVD commentary for the film.

At the theater, Dark City did not get much attention. In fact, I don’t ever recall hearing about it before a few years ago. It was late and night and I caught part of it on television. The immediate thing that I noticed was Rufus Sewell. The fact that he was the lead character and is in one of my favorite movies (Dangerous Beauty) made me stop and watch. As I continued watching, I noticed Kiefer Sutherland, William Hurt, and Jennifer Connelly also were in the movie. The movie itself was hard to pick up on at that point because I walked into it from the middle. This is one of those movies that you just need to see from beginning to end.

Today, this tenth anniversary edition is just what fans are looking for when they think of the treatment that Dark City deserves. The first release to DVD saw an increasing number of people pick up the movie only to become rabid fans. I wouldn’t even presume to say it’s near the numbers of something like the Rocky Horror, but saying it’s a cult hit would be a fair estimation.

If you already have a copy of Dark City, the updated version will make you want to head to eBay so that you can get rid of that version and upgrade to this new one. With updated special features and some new and extended scenes, Dark City offers old fans a new perspective and new viewers a chance to fall in love with a highly inventive Sci-fi film.

The Dark City Plot
“I can teach you to control your power consciously.
Let me help you, John.
Together we can stop them.
We can take the city back.”

John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) starts things off as he wakes up naked and disoriented in a tub of water. Making matters worse, Murdoch has no clue who he is. News of a serial killer is rampant around the town and as he works to discover his own identity he begins to wonder if he is the serial killer that everyone is on the lookout to find.

Murdoch is contacted by a mysterious Dr. Schreber (Sutherland) and before he knows it he is on the run for some crazed, other than human men that are gruesomely pale and dressed in black. Unfortunately for Murdoch, he will have to pass through some pretty dark moments filled with unsettling truths to find out his identity.

These creepy, dark suited men aren’t the only ones looking for Murdoch. Also on his tail is Inspector Frank Bumstead (Hurt). Bumstead pieces together enough information to find Murdoch’s estranged wife (Connelly), though that’s all I will say as this film was meant to be a mystery that is unraveled when watching it for the first time.

The additional scenes and the removal of the opening narrative by Kiefer’s character is an enormous improvement, as there were some spoilers in there that immediately gave the movie away. The other new scenes in the film are not all that new, but rather extensions of what were already good to begin with. For instance, Melissa George plays a prostitute in a bit part. This time around she is shown with a child, which makes the fate of her character even more interestingly shocking. There are also some scene extensions that build the relationship between Connelly and Hurt, and make the characters more dynamic, relatable, and engaging.

Storyline/Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
If you thought Dark City was stunning before, this newly enhanced transfer will leave you completely breathless. Saying it is a feast for the eyes is putting it as mildly as I possibly can. Everything about Dark City comes out beautifully. The visual transfer is available in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The black and whites are brooding and intense, the colors are strong, and the overall quality is clean, sharp, and beautiful. I seriously couldn’t have asked for a nicer quality. I only wish that all DVDs I watch could end up looking this nice.

The sound seemed a little bit quieter than I remember it. I am not sure if it’s just me or if there were parts of the score missing in this version that have been replaced by moments of silence. Either way, the sound that is present is dynamic and comes through well. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and there are subtitles in both English and Spanish.

Visual: 5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
If commentaries are your thing you will be in hog heaven with this special collector’s anniversary edition of Dark City. This version of the film sports multiple audio commentaries including one by Roger Ebert (fitting since he said it was the best film of 1998), another by the Director, Alex Proyas, and a final one by the writers, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer. It is interesting to hear the different perspectives on each of the commentaries. In each version you learn a good deal about the film with some added exposition where it seems necessary.

Three featurettes are also included. I highly recommend the play all option when going to watch these because when you put them together they mimic a highly informative, interesting behind the scenes type of making of that fans will love. The featurettes include “Introduction by Alex Proyas”, “Memories of Shell Beach” and “Architecture of Dreams.” A production gallery and theatrical trailer are also included.

Bonus Features: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Fans of Dark City will want to pick this up immediately whether they have the old copy or not. This new extended version with 11 more minutes will make it all worth the purchase and if the 11 minutes don’t do it for you the enhanced audio and visual will. On the other hand, if you’re new to the film you won’t want to miss this version either. The deletion of the opening narrative and the extra film scenes make it a good start to a great film.

Overall Rating: 4.86 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Movie Review, Anniversary Edition, Tenth Anniversary, DVD, Special Edition, Collector’s Edition, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Murdoch, Kiefer Sutherland, Film, DVD Review

The trailer for Children of Men has a funny moment, written on the trailer are the words; “from the director that brought you Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” I must admit that was the most ambitious of the Harry Potter movies, if not the best, but I don’t think it is the fans of Harry Potter who this film was made for. To tell you the truth, I don’t know whom this movie was made for.

I don’t even know why it was made in the first place. Was it bad? No on the contrary director Alfonso Cuaron does an excellent job showing a world of udder chaos and distress, a place where hope has long died. He also does a great job at telling a pointless story for a pointless world, but I ask this question, why? What are we suppose to leave with? I left the theater with a hollow dirty feeling, like I just finished taking a bath in tar.

The movie opens on the death of the youngest man in the world, the youngest man in the world was in his twenties. In this world women have lost the ability to reproduce. People are glued to their Televisions watching this heart breaking news; everyone in the world seems to care a great deal about this young man, everyone except Theodore Faron.

Theodore played by the great Clive Owen, who performance in Closer is one of my all time favorites, doesn’t seem to care all that much about anything. He moves through life with no real purpose or reason, he gets up because his eyes are open and he does to work because he has gotten up.

To Theodore the death of the youngest person in the world is not big deal, and in the terms of this world I agree with Theodore. When Theodore sees a bunch of people looking at the one TV in the corner store, he simply grabs his plain coffee and walks out. What happens next is a clue of the type of movie this is, a huge explosion rips through the store killing everyone but Theodore who really could have cared less.

Theodore wonders out of the city to a hidden spot in the country where his pot-growing friend played by Michael Caine lives. If this movie had different actors or a different director I would have said it was worthless to go see, but Michael Caine is such a wonderful actor that I enjoyed my moments with him, even if I didn’t know why I was watching this film.

Michael Caine gives us a moment of warmth in a world that is forever cold, I believed every moment with him. I only wish that we never had to leave his site and go on to the rest of this film.

The action starts when Theodore’s ex-wife (Julianne Moore) has him kidnapped and brought to her. It seems that she is some kind of eco terrorist. In the world where nothing matters there seems to be one thing, which is very important, stop the foreigners from crossing the boarders.

Moore’s character needs Theodore to help them get a girl across the boarders to the “Human Project” a mythical place where all the greatest minds in the world have gathered to make a better world. Why would all these great minds want this girl? The girl happens to be pregnant. In a world where no one is pregnant, this is a big deal.

Though I found Children of Men to be a pointless movie, I can say that I have never seen action like this. Cuaron fills the screen with truly wonderful moments. Unfortunately, those moments are of death and carnage with no end in sight. I have no doubt that I was intended to have a sick feeling in my stomach, and I did. I was meant to cringe at this horrific world, and I did. I was meant to feel empty I, and I did. But I ask again why?

Technorati Tags: Children of Men, Movie Review, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Clive Owen