Blu-ray Review: FUTUREWORLD (1976)

Note: This review is for a screener obtained from Shout! Factory. FUTUREWORLD has been officially released onto Blu-ray as of March 26th. Order your copy from Amazon.com today!

MOVIE REVIEW:
Until just yesterday, I had never seen FUTUREWORLD before, but I have seen its predecessor, WESTWORLD, numerous times. When a copy arrived in the mail from Shout! Factory, I was extremely excited! Finally I could see what happened after the events of the first film. Would the park be opened again, and if so, would everything work correctly this time with no loss of human life?!

Beginning several years after the rampage of a murderous Yul Brenner-bot, FUTUREWORLD follows two reporters, Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda) and Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner), who are invited to Delos' reopened adult theme park in hopes that they give it the OK and provide a some positive media coverage. Tracy thinks it's all grand, but Chuck, ever the suspicious reporter, believes that there is more going on than meets the eye.

After spending a bit of time in Futureworld (an outer space-themed addition to Delos' park) the two reporters begin to poke around and discover that something diabolical is going on behind the scenes, involving murder, villainous doppelgangers, and one of the most insane attempts at controlling the press I have ever seen!

FUTUREWORLD is a rather dull followup to the totally awesome WESTWORLD but still does enough right to be a worthy sequel. Instead of being a retread of the previous film's events, this movie smartly goes in another direction while staying firmly rooted in the world the first film created. Instead of having robots going insane and murdering Delos' clientele, there's a mystery afoot involving the giant tech company, and a secret that is worth killing over. While this is an interesting spin, the movie waits too long to deliver the big twist, which you'll easily figure out way before it happens.

Though it plods along at a lethargic pace, the film has some really cool moments: Yul Brenner makes a cameo as "The Gunslinger" within Tracy Ballard's really weird and none-too-erotic dream sequence. Though it's cool to see him reprise his role, I was really hoping he'd pop up in the abandoned ruins of Westworld to give our characters a fright! Instead, the only robotic character we get is Clark, a rebuilt automaton without a that emotes better than the majority of the cast. Oddly enough, this background character, who has no lines and only a few brief scenes, proves to be a captivating, and sadly tragic figure. Clark's reaction to the departure of his repairer/friend Harry (a rebellious maintenance worker at the resort) is heartbreaking.

Then there's the final act of the movie, where it becomes a race against time for Chuck and Tracy to escape with their lives! It's like someone shot a huge dose of caffeine into the seemingly sedated film, and we get nothing less than an old-fashioned wild west showdown, and an acrobatic battle around the outside of a space shuttle launch platform! And after all is said and done, after the bad guys think they've pulled off a big win for their (not clearly defined) evil machinations, this happens:

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE FONDA B*TCHES!

While a far cry from the fantastic WESTWORLD, FUTUREWORLD boasts a great cast, an awesome soundtrack by Fred Karlin (listen to some of it here), and does something different while continuing to build upon the storyline and mythology created by the previous entry. It's slow paced, but hang in there if you watch it because it all builds up to a worthwhile ending!

FUTUREWORLD may be a bit on the dull side, but its definitely worth checking out. I am more than happy to give this WESTWORLD sequel:

THREE 'RADS'

BLU-RAY REVIEW

The Packaging: Nothing special here folks. Typical Blu-ray case with a yellow-tinted version of the original theatrical poster art. (Blu-ray cover art located at top right of this post.)

Audio & Video: FUTUREWORLD is showcased in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p HD! Though I haven't seen it prior to its Blu-ray release, I'm sure it is safe to say that this is the best the movie has looked in a long time. The film comes with only one audio option: DTS HD Master Audio 2.0. Fred Karlin's score, the dialogue, and sound effects all come through nice and clearly. There's really nothing to complain about here!

The Extras: This is where the disc totally strikes out. We get a theatrical trailer (featured in 1080i), two short radio spots (together they make up approx. one minute of audio), and a minute-long Still Gallery that features concept art from the film as well as domestic and foreign poster designs. (No behind the scenes photos from the set, or lobby cards, or screenshots from the movie? Tsk tsk, Shout! Factory.)

Final Ruling: Though I was hoping for more special features, overall I can't really complain about this Blu-ray release. The disc is going for under fifteen dollars at most retailers, and the movie looks and sounds great! Plus the cover art actually complements that of the Warner Bros. WESTWORLD Blu-ray that came out on March 5th. It's a serviceable Blu-ray disc for an oft-overlooked sci-fi classic that isn't overpriced, therefore I'm content to let it slide and give it:

THREE 'RADS'

As stated earlier, Shout! Factory's FUTUREWORLD Blu-ray is now available wherever DVDs and Blu-rays are sold. Currently it is going for just under fourteen dollars on Amazon.com, as is Warner Home Video's WESTWORLD release. You can order one or both of them from the following links.

ORDER FUTUREWORLD ON BLU-RAY FOR $13.86!
ORDER WESTWORLD ON BLU-RAY FOR $13.86!

On the fence about buying it? Then give the trailer a quick look:

‘The Fourth Kind’ director will tackle aliens again in ‘Eden’

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

The writer/director of the controversial alien abduction horror The Fourth Kind, Olatunde Osunsanmi (pictured), is set to tackle aliens once again in Eden, his original sci-fi tale for Gold Circle Productions.

According to Comingsoon.net, “the storyline takes place in a world where aliens have enslaved humanity. Survivors follow an Underground Railroad-like path called "The Rail" in the hopes of winning their freedom.”

Paul Brooks will produce, with Guy Danella and Scott Niemeyer serving as executive producers.  

No release date has been set.

‘Independence Day’ sequels confirmed, story details revealed

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

ID Forever Part I and ID Forever Part II will see aliens from original movie return for second invasion.

Humanity will fight back using anti-gravity technology recovered from the aliens.

Bill Pullman to reprise his role as President Whitmore. Will Smith not returning.

Director Roland Emmerich has confirmed that not one, but two sequels to his iconic 1996 alien invasion movie Independence Day are now in active development. ID Forever Part I and ID Forever Part II willtake place roughly 20 years after the original, when a distress call sent by the first wave of aliens finally brings reinforcements to Earth.

“The humans knew that one day the aliens would come back,” Emmerich tells Entertainment Weekly, “and they know that the only way you can really travel in space is through wormholes. So for the aliens, it could take two or three weeks, but for us that’s 20 or 25 years.”

Apparently, Emmerich has been busy working with an art department on the look of his new IDworld. “It’s a changed world,” he says. “It’s like parallel history. [Humans] have harnessed all this alien technology. We don’t know how to duplicate it because it’s organically-grown technology, but we know how to take an antigravity device and put it in a human airplane.”

Fans of the original movie may be disappointed to learn that Will Smith will not be returning as Captain Steven Hiller for either of the sequels, although Bill Pullman has already confirmed that he will reprise his role as President Whitmore.

Emmerich tells EW that his new ID films will revolve around a younger cast of characters, which will include Captain Hiller’s (Smith’s) stepson, Dylan (originally played by Ross Bagley). The director also says that his first sequel will end on a cliffhanger: “The first one ends on a little success, but only enough to give the humans hope. And then in the second one they free themselves again [from the aliens].”

The scripts for both sequels are being written by James Vanderbilt of the famous Vanderbilt family – the seventh richest family in history. James’ grandfather was Donald C. Platten, the former Chairman and Chief Executive of Chemical Bank – once the third largest bank in the United States.

No release dates have yet been set for the Independence Day sequels, though 2015 and 2016 seem likely.

Introducing THE DEAD DUCK'S DUCK HUNT!

The internet is a huge and nearly infinite place, filled with the bulk of humanity's knowledge... and cat photos.... and lots and lots of porn... and viral videos... and memes... and, well, you get the idea. Because of all the info floating around out there, a lot of stuff gets overlooked, especially on Youtube (trust me on that, I know from experience).

Case in point, tonight I was introduced to a newly started web-series called THE DEAD DUCK'S DUCK HUNT, an odd little show that focuses on cult, horror, and exploitation films. It's weird, but I definitely dug it, and think some of you frequent readers and cult film fanatics will dig it too. Thus far "The Dead Duck" has two videos out there on the Youtube. The first covers numerous Shout! Factory DVD releases (mainly their awesome selection of Roger Corman Cult Classics), and the second gives a brief overview of the films of Lucio Fulci!

Give the Dead Duck's Duck Hunt a little love by watching the videos below. If you like what you see, be sure to give them a thumbs up, subscribe and/or comment on the videos, and share them too! I know these guys would love to hear what you have to say, plus they could use the extra traffic!

New DVDs & Blu-rays for 03/26/2013!

Holy Hell! Your bank accounts are about to take an ass-whoopin' this week fellow hoarders of digital versatile discs and Blu-rays! Mill Creek has unleashed numerous bargain-priced double feature Blu-rays and Scream/Shout! Factory are hitting us with some awesome new stuff, including a new MST3K DVD set and two new Horror classics hitting Blu-ray for the first time ever! Scroll down and see what's new this week!




NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Bangkok Revenge
The Collection
From Beyond (Collector's Edition - DVD/Blu-ray combo)
Phantasm II (Collector's Edition)



NEW TO BLU-RAY
Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back
Dead Collections
Dead Sushi
Futureworld
Hollow Man / Hollow Man 2
Jezebeth
Star Trek: Enterprise - Season One
Terminator Anthology
When a Stranger Calls / Happy Birthday to Me



NEW TO DVD
6 Dead Souls
Alleycat (Remastered Widescreen Edition)
Angels Brigade (a.k.a. Seven from Heaven, Angels' Revenge)
Animus
Bad Meat
Bled White
Bloodline: Vengeance From Beyond
Darkest Corner of Paradise
Deadly Karma
Death From Above
The Death Wheelers
Dinosaur Project
Discipline
The Frankenstein Theory
Ichi: The Killer Pack
Johnny Sokko and His Giant Robot: The Complete Series
Kill the Ugly TV
Loved Ones
Mad Cowgirl (Gourmet Edition - 3D & 2D)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXVI
Population 2
Possession in Japan
Sexsquatch: The Legend of Blood Stool Creek
Stagnight of the Dead
To Live and Die in Hollywood
Virtual Weapon
Zombie Genocide: Legion of the Damned

'Ender's Game': first poster for epic alien invasion movie

Silver Screen Saucers

Summit Entertainmenthas released the first poster for Ender's Game, the hotly anticipated big screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s bestselling sci-fi novel...

 

The film – which stars Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Viola Davis – hits theaters and IMAX on November 1. It’s plot reads as follows:

“In the near future, a hostile alien race called the Formics have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young minds to find the future Mazer.

Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy, is recruited to join the elite. Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult challenges and simulations, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham himself to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.”

 

Hailee Steinfeld and Asa Butterfield in Ender's Game (2013).

 

Quickie Review: Sins of the Dragon (2012)

It's been a while since I've delved into the world of low-budget filmmaking, and I have to admit, a lot has changed over the years. I recall getting VHS tapes of shot-on-video horror films in the mail just over a decade ago. (Showing my age a bit.) Then the VHS tapes were replaced by DVDs (and DVD-Rs), and then Blu-ray discs, but now it seems digital streaming and downloading  is beginning to reign supreme. And it's just not the format that's changing; it's the quality of the productions too!

With film going digital and the equipment to make films being super affordable these days, the kids of yesteryear that shot homemade kung-fu flicks in their backyard with a bulky VHS camcorder, have been replaced with young aspiring filmmakers armed with handycams and digital editing equipment! It's a startling change and definitely one for the better in my opinion.

Which leads me to SINS OF THE DRAGON, a cool kung-fu throwback that pays homage to classic Shaw Bros. fare. Filmed entirely in the woods with a small cast, (much like Ryuhei Kitamura's breakout film VERSUS), SINS OF THE DRAGON is an obvious labor of love for editor/co-star/director/writer Joey Corpora, that often belies it's miniscule budget.

The film begins when the main villain Caligo (the half-hockey-masked swordsman in the film's poster) kills one of the "Four Dragons," aging martial arts masters that were blessed with supernatural powers. By killing them, Caligo gains their powers and becomes an even more potent assassin. However, Caligo's thirst for power has gained him a stalwart foe, namely young Cunri. (Who kind of resembles Ken from Capcom's Street Fighter games now that I think of it.) Cunri was a child when Caligo wiped out his village and murdered his family, causing the orphaned child to take up martial arts training in his quest for revenge.

Joining Cunri on his journey is his war-fan wielding pal Kaia, who is far less bloodthirsty, but more than capable of taking care of herself. Along the way they battle Caligo's numerous, yet mainly useless ninjas (i.e. cannon fodder), and an odd trio of idiotic comic-relief bandits that enjoy eating piss and beans. (Yeah, I'm still scratching my head over that one. Hahaha.) The film eventually boils down to a ninja massacre that leads  to the final showdown between Cunri and Caligo, where truths are revealed, old wounds are healed, and new ones are opened.

SINS OF THE DRAGON runs just under a half-hour, though I've got the feeling that it used to be a bit longer. (Note: According to Joey Corpora, the original cut was at roughly 53 minutes, but was edited down for film festival screenings.) Most of the story is quickly told through exposition (you never get to see Caligo attack Cunri's village or battle it out with two of the other "Four Dragons"), which means that most of the film is made up of kung-fu action! The bulk of the fight choreography in this flick is very well done, with the stars pulling off some crazy moves and stunts. Though there are a few moments where the actors hesitate a bit before delivering a blow, the majority of the fight choreography is fast-paced and almost seamless. (A lot of this is due in part to the editing, which is top notch.)

Kaia and Cunri are about to put a hurtin' on some ninjas!

There is a lot to like in SINS OF THE DRAGON, but there's one glaring thing that didn't quite work for me: The three bandits that capture Kaia. I understand that they are there to a.) provide some laughs and b.) provide a moment where Cunri and Kaia make amends after an argument, but they stall the movie as soon as they show up on the screen. I didn't find them particularly funny, and though they manage to capture Kaia,  I could see her easily escaping from them without Cunri's aid. Truthfully I think it would have made more sense for her to be captured by Caligo and his minions, which would have given our hero even more reason to seek out and destroy his arch-nemesis. Seeing as how the film was heavily trimmed for festival screenings (including scenes where Cunri crosses paths with Sozen), I'm kind of surprised that the halfwit bandits survived the cut; their presence is totally unnecessary.

Despite my misgivings about said characters, I have to say that this is a solid little action flick that rises above its meager budget. (At times it feels like you're watching a demo reel for some up and coming martial artists, but that is no way a bad thing. Just look at Tony Jaa in ONG-BAK; that movie kicks some serious ass but is essentially a glorified demo reel for the rising martial arts star.) SINS OF THE DRAGON runs at a brisk pace, showcases some awesome kung-fu action, and pays tribute to the Shaw Bros.' films of yore with awesomely cheesy sound effects and watery arterial spray! It's an impressive start for first-time director Joey Corpora, and I very much look forward to seeing what else he and his companions pull off in the future, especially if they scrape together a much larger budget.

I enjoyed SINS OF THE DRAGON and gladly give it:

THREE AND-A-HALF 'RADS'

For more info about SINS OF THE DRAGON, visit the Platypus Underground website, and check out the film's IMDB page! And while you're at it, give the trailer a look-see below!

NOW PLAYING: COME OUT AND PLAY, THE CROODS, & OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN!

It's a good weekend (or was) to hit the theaters, because you can watch a decent action/thriller, an animated caveman comedy that the whole family can enjoy, and a CHILDREN OF THE CORN knock-off set in a tropical locale. Let's take a closer look at what's new! First up is COME OUT AND PLAY:


Yep, this is totally CHILDREN OF THE CORN set on a tropical isle (though it seems to be lacking the whole supernatural/religious aspect). When a vacationing couple arrives on a glorious island paradise and finds it nearly deserted, they soon discover that the adult residents of said island have been butchered by all of their children. After exposition from a lone survivor, they try to escape, but can they? I guess it all comes down to how many 5-year olds they can take in a fight. While I could probably take on my fair share of killer ankle-biters, my moral compass would drag me down a bit apparently, allowing me to only survive the onslaught of twenty or so. As for the movie, it doesn't look like anything special, but I always get a kick out a film that a.) has creepy kids murdering adults and b.) has the adults murdering them right back in order to survive. There's something very wrong with me....

20
Next up we have THE CROODS, a new animated comedy from DreamWorks Animation. A family of cavepeople wander around and go on adventures and ... stuff. I wasn't blown away by the first trailer I saw, and I'm personally surprised by how well it is doing in the box office. (Then again, I'm not so surprised because it's the first legit kids film to come out this year.) Let's check out the trailer, shall we?


 Ok, I'd watch this. It's no WRECK-IT RALPH, but it looks fun and almost makes me wish I had a son or daughter to go see it with. (Key word here is ALMOST. Haha!) I like Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone, and Nicholas Cage, who (though stricken with a malady that gives him a complete inability to turn down a role, and typically causes him to chew the hell out of the scenery) seems rather restrained here. If you've got young'uns this is def the best movie to take them to see this weekend.

Finally, if you don't live in a city that's playing COME OUT AND PLAY and you're planning on going out and leaving the kids with a babysitter, why not watch Gerard Butler reenact DIE HARD in the White House? Your final new major release for this week is OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN:


Oh MAN, how formulaic could you get?! Asian terrorists (probably North Korean because China's a major economic power in this world now and it'd be wrong to make them the villain in a movie. See also: RED DAWN remake.) easily invade the White House and capture the president, and its up to an ex-special forces/ex-Secret Service agent who happens to be stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time, to kill the bad guys single-handedly and rescue the prez.

This is screenwriting at its laziest, but damn it, I'd gladly give it a look. It's Rated R, has Gerard Butler doing what he was made to do (i.e. being an action star, not a frequent leading man in numerous retardedly formulaic chick flicks), and blows up several of Washington D.C.'s most notable landmarks! (I haven't seen this much destruction in our nation's capital since EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS! Well, except for INDEPENDENCE DAY that is!)

If you caught any of these new flicks on the big screen this weekend, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter!

Magnet Releasing to distribute MILO later this year!

Got a press release the other night stating that Magnet Releasing had won a battle to procure the distribution rights for Jacob Vaughan's horror/comedy MILO, which premiered last week at the SXSW Film Festival. Here's the lowdown on the film:

NEW YORK/AUSTIN – March 18, 2013 – Magnet Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to the acclaimed comedy/horror film MILO. Written and directed by Jacob Vaughan and starring Ken Marino & Gillian Jacobs, MILO premiered last weekend at the 2013 SXSW Film Festival. Blending the gory elements of a classic critter film (à la GREMLINS) with the lighthearted comedy of an unlikely friendship (reminiscent of TED), MILO was one of the most talked about and unique films of the festival.

The sale for MILO was completed late Friday night, making it the last deal to close during this year’s SXSW.

Duncan’s (Ken Marino) life is a real pain in the ass. Tormented by a manipulative, crooked boss (Patrick Warburton), a nagging mother (Mary Kay Place), a deadbeat new age dad (Stephen Root), and a sweet, yet pressuring, wife (Gillian Jacobs), his mounting stress starts to trigger an insufferable gastrointestinal reaction. Out of ideas and at the end of his rope, Duncan seeks the help of a hypnotherapist (Peter Stormare), who helps him discover the root of his unusual stomach pain: a pintsized demon living in his intestine that, triggered by excessive anxiety, forces its way out and slaughters the people who have angered him. Out of fear that his intestinal gremlin may target its wrath on the wrong person, Duncan attempts to befriend it, naming it Milo and indulging it to keep its seemingly insatiable appetite at bay.

MILO features notable puppetry by Frank Langley and Bob Mano.

MILO was produced by Adele Romanski with New Artists Alliance’s Gabriel Cowan and John Suits. Executive producers include Mark & Jay Duplass, John Norris, Kerry Johnson, Dallas Sonnier, Jack Heller and Floren Shieh Productions’ Clay Floren and Aimee Shieh.

“Just like Ken Marino, our stomachs were hurting watching MILO, happily because of laughter rather than an intestinal demon,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles. “MILO is a rare entry in the horror-comedy genre that truly delivers.”

Jacob Vaughan said, "Magnet is the perfect home for MILO. The company is second-to-none in releasing quality genre movies and their passion for MILO is overwhelming. I’m confident they will do an incredible job positioning the film in the marketplace and getting it seen by audiences everywhere.”

The deal for MILO was negotiated by Magnolia/Magnet SVP of Acquisitions Dori Begley and Director of Acquisitions Peter van Steemburg, with ICM Partners on behalf of the filmmakers and producers.

This movie actually sounds pretty cool and the fact that there's puppetry in it (no mention of CGI) excites me! Could it be that the filmmakers used practical f/x instead of computerized trickery?! Guess we'll have to wait and find out later this year when Magnet gives MILO a video on demand/limited theatrical release! 

"MILO got a distribution deal?! NO WAY?!"

Disney and NASA to explore “Goldilocks” planet in new 3D IMAX film

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

 

IMAX Corporation and Walt Disney Studios today announcedan agreement to produce and distribute a new epic 3D documentary from veteran IMAX director Toni Myers.

IMAX and Disney previously have worked together on the distribution of a number of high-profile films, including Fantasia 2000 and the recent Oz The Great and Powerful, although this marks the first collaboration between the two companies in a production capacity.

Produced in cooperation with NASA, the upcoming space-themed documentary, which is still untitled, will use IMAX's extremely high-resolution photography and videography to offer "breathtaking, illuminating views of our home planet from space, exploring the astonishing changes that have occurred on Earth in just the past several decades."

The film will also explore "mankind's future on and off the planet... while also travelling light-years to other star systems to ponder the possibilities of 'Goldilocks,' an Earth-like planet." The film is expected to be released in 2015.

Ward Kimball's artwork for
Mars and Beyond (1957)

This will not be the first time Disney has teamed with space scientists to produce a documentary about life beyond Earth. In the mid-1950s the House of Mouse worked closely with famed rocket scientist and aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun on a series of ambitious documentaries about space travel and life in the universe as part of the DisneylandTV series (1954–1958).

 

The documentaries -- Man in Space (1955), Man and the Moon (1955), and Mars and Beyond (1957) -- were directed by the legendary Disney animator Ward Kimball, who, in his later life, claimedto have been involved in the production of a Disney documentary in the mid-1950s that was backed by the US Air Force and which was intended to acclimate the public to the reality of the UFO phenomenon and alien visitation.  

Disappointingly, the Air Force eventually decided to pull the plug on the documentary, which, according to Kimball, was set to feature real UFO footage provided by the military.

 

NASA also has a history of assisting filmmakers on alien-themed productions. In 1982, NASA helped Steven Spielberg with his classic alien contact movie E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, offering the filmmaker advice on how scientists would likely respond in the event of a real alien contact scenario. This collaborationshaped sections of the movie, including the scene when NASA personnel enter a sealed-off suburban home in search of E.T.

 

Producer Kathleen Kennedy also asked NASA what sort of planet E.T. might call home. The space agency came up with a “little green planet” populated by “little mushroom farmers.” E.T.’s biology reflected this scenario, said Kennedy – the friendly space creature being “closer to a plant than a biological human being.”

Curiously, NASA also lent its cooperation to the Disney movie Mission to Mars (2000), in which astronauts discover the remnants of an ancient civilisation on the red planet and make contact with one of its alien survivors – although NASA was keen to point out during the end credits that its cooperation and assistance “[did] not reflect an endorsement of the contents of the film.”

 

 

 

JOHN DIES AT THE END: Available on DVD & Blu-ray on April 2nd!

Based upon the popular novel by David Wong, JOHN DIES AT THE END follows two slackers who get caught up in an interdimensional adventure involving strange invaders who want to conquer the Earth. I actually saw it earlier this year after buying a "pre-theatrical rental" through Amazon and .... well... it was interesting to say the least. All eyes were glued to the TV, but most of us watching were scratching our heads a lot of the time. Apparently this is an adaptation that requires you to read the source material to fully appreciate the movie. Still, it was fun, and fans of the book should love it! Here's more info about this upcoming release:

SYNOPSIS: In JOHN DIES AT THE END, it’s all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs...

Adapted from David Wong’s audacious trans-genre horror novel, JOHN DIES AT THE END with screenplay by and directed by Don Coscarelli (BUBBA HO-TEP) and also stars Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman and Paul Giamatti.

 BONUS FEATURES

-- Commentary with Writer/Director Don Coscarelli, Producer Brad Baruh, Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes
-- Deleted Scenes
-- Getting Sauced: The Making of John Dies at the End
-- Creature Corps: The Effects of Soy Sauce
-- Casting Sessions
-- Fangoria Interview with Paul Giamatti
-- Trailers

Both the DVD & Blu-ray hit stores and e-tailers on Tuesday, April 2nd!

PRE-ORDER THE BLU-RAY AT AMAZON.COM FOR $19.99!

PRE-ORDER THE DVD AT AMAZON.COM FOR $14.99!

New DVDs & Blu-rays for 03/19/2013!

Hey fellow DVD/Blu-ray hoarders. Fear not for there's not a whole lot of NEW genre stuff hitting DVD & Blu-ray this week! THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY comes to DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D, GORGO gets the royal treatment in VCI's new high-def release, and there's also a slew of martial arts films on DVD courtesy of several distribution companies (like Bonzai Media Corporation). Here's what's new this week:





NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
GORGO
The Great Magician
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Shadow People



NEW TO BLU-RAY
Timerider: The Adventures of Lyle Swann
Zeta One (a.k.a. The Love Factor): Remastered Edition



NEW TO DVD 
The 10th Kingdom
Bangkok Adrenaline
Black Eagle
Bodyguards & Assassins
Dark Feed
The Edgar Wallace Collection Vol. 1: Mad Executioners
The Edgar Wallace Collection Vol. 2: The Curse of the Yellow Snake
Grave of the Vampire
Hanzo the Razor: The Snare
Hellgate
Ip Man 3: The Legend is Born
Jackie Chan Beginnings: Killer Meteors & New Fist of Fury
The Jitters
The Jurassic Terror of Unknown Island
Legendary Assassin
Legend of the Wolf
New Fists of Fury
Police Story
Shaolin
Strange Frame



NEW MULTI-FILM COLLECTIONS ON DVD
Action-Packed Movie Marathon
Contains: Alienator, Eye of the Tiger, Cyclone, and The Exterminator 2.

Creepy Creatures Vol. 1
Contains: Monster From the Ocean Floor and Serpent Island.

Creepy Creatures Vol. 2
Contains: The Crawling Hand and The Slime People.

UFO movie news round-up (19 March, 2013)

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Alien contact movie based on “factual data” seeks funding 

A new independent film about alien contact based on “factual data” is seeking public funding. According to io9.com, the movie – titled Ellipse– “is about a girl who is destined to be an astrophysicist. It's also about an Enlightenment-era woman who helped discover longitude. And it's about aliens. Plus, it's made by seasoned SF filmmakers in collaboration with scientists at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.”

The filmmakers behind Ellipse describe it as follows:

“Leo is from another world, many light years from Earth. He is a player in an intergalactic game, travelling to other worlds and planting the seed of knowledge about whether we are alone in the universe.

On Earth he has tried many times to point us toward the truth but our technology and the recipients of his 'sharing' have not been able to take the steps needed to unlock the secret.

Then he finds Ro, an exceptionally bright girl who he draws into the game. She becomes fated to study astrophysics and, as a grown up astronomer, her research leads her to identify a particular comet and send a lander to explore it…

The film begins over 400 years ago at The Queen's House. We meet Louise de Kerouaille, a mistress to Charles II. She was responsible for convincing the King to create the observatory as a way to map the stars and solve the problem of longitude, an amazing woman.

Next, the whole of Ro's study and the data seen in the film from the alien world is from NASA's Kepler mission and the amazing app called EXOPLANET. Hanno Rein, from the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton has chosen several stars with exoplanets to be discussed on screen and in the educational pack we are producing to support the film for schools, this will be written by Dr Lewis Dartnell and Marek Kukula, the Public Astronomer at the ROG…

Also, the whole film is being made in collaboration with the Royal Observatory Greenwich, home of the Prime Meridian.”

Ellipse needs £12,000 to get off the ground. If you want to support this movie, you can make a donation here.

‘Jupiter Ascending’ gets a release date

Warner Bros. has announced that its epic (and, by the sounds of it, completely bonkers) science-fiction movie Jupiter Ascending will be released on July 25, 2014.  

Directed by the Wachowski brothers (Cloud Atlas, The Matrix) and starring Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, and Sean Bean, Jupiter Ascending “focuses on higher forms of life who are watching us from other worlds. Kunis will play a Russian immigrant who is busily scrubbing toilets for a living. Unbeknownst to her, she actually possesses the same perfect genetic makeup as the Queen of the Universe and is therefore a threat to her otherwise immortal rule.”

‘Defiance’: SyFy’s new alien drama reviewed

The hotly-anticipated (exopolitical?) TV series Defiancewill premiere on SyFy on April 15. io9.com has already seen the first three episodes and has delivered its verdict:

“On a Syfy scale of Battlestar Galactica to Piranhaconda, Defiance is in the upper middle. It's got heaps of promise and an amazing cast… It's got a lot of heart and so far is a lot of fun.”

For the full, spoiler-free review of Defiance– which is set on Earth 30 years after a collective of five alien races arrives, turning our civilization upside down – head on over to io9.com.

‘Monsters vs. Aliens’ TV show

DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliensis headed to the small screen as a Nickelodeon TV series.

 

Based on the 2009 feature film, Monsters vs. Aliens tells the story of a team of monsters brought together to protect the Earth from interstellar threats.

The pilot episode – titled "Welcome to Area Fifty-Something" – will premiere on March 23, with the series proper beginning April 6.

Check out the series trailer here...
 

Blu-ray Review: Police Story / Police Story 2 Double Feature

Note: This is a pre-release review for a screener obtained from Shout! Factory. This double feature Blu-ray will not be available until April 16th, 2013!

MOVIE REVIEW(S):
Though retired from doing his own stunts in recent years, Jackie Chan's past efforts are still spectacular and unmatched to this day. (Though admittedly, many of the young new action stars coming out of Thailand in the past decade could have given Jackie a run for his money in his prime.) Case in point, Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY features the martial artist's amazing physical prowess while providing an engaging storyline and some kick-ass action sequences.

In this film, Chan plays officer Chan Ka Kui, a young detective that makes a name for himself after single-handedly nabbing a drug baron named Mr. Chu Tao, during a botched police raid that reduces an entire shantytown to rubble! (This scene was later cribbed by Michael Bay for Bad Boys 2.) Chan becomes the poster boy (literally) for the police department and is given the cushy job of protecting a witness named Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin), but things go awry and a vengeful Mr. Chu is soon back out on the streets.

Eventually Selina comes to her senses (after Chu's thugs attempt to frame Jackie and kill her), so she hacks in to Chu's computer and gets proof of his dirty dealings. She is quickly accosted by Chu's kung-fu henchmen, but is luckily rescued when an insanely angry Chan Ka Kui arrives on the scene, and starts pummeling Chu's men in a series of awesomely choreographed fights! The climactic battle between Jackie and the baddies is fantastic, with tons of glass displays, windows, lighting fixtures, and bodies being broken throughout a mall. It's probably one of my all-time favorite Jackie Chan battles; give it a look below. The action starts at the 9:05 mark!


POLICE STORY 2 takes place right after the events of the first movie. Chan Ka Kui is getting rebuked by his superiors for all the damage he caused in the first film, but dammit.... HE GETS RESULTS! After being demoted to a traffic cop and sort of out of the limelight, Chan and his girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung, with a much larger role) try to relax. But between Chu's men making constant idle threats, and the cops needing Jackie's assistance all the time, it seems like things just won't work out for the two lovebirds.

Then disaster strikes as a group of terrorists begin a campaign of terror in order to extort money from a wealthy businessman. Chan and a group of young detectives are on the case, but just can't seem to capture the criminals. That is until May is kidnapped. With his woman in the hands of dangerous crooks, Chan Ka Kui springs into action and battles the quartet of bombermen (in a fireworks factory no less), which leads up to a tremendously explosive ending. (Pun intended.)

POLICE STORY is an awesome Jackie Chan flick with some highly memorable action scenes (e.g. the police raid in the opening; Jackie rescuing Serina; the throwdown in the mall during the big climax), several silly (but funny) slapstick moments, and a serious dramatic turn in the final act. It all culminates into one of the best Hong Kong action flicks you'll ever lay eyes on, and is rightfully considered a classic! For making me laugh, cheer, and wince (man, some of these stunts must have hurt) I award this film:

FOUR 'RADS'

POLICE STORY 2 is fun, but a far cry from it's predecessor. The story gets a bit convoluted, with Jackie's exploits focusing far too long on his rivalry with Chu. (Who is on his deathbed at this point.) Most of the fight scenes involve Chan beating up on Chu's annoying henchmen, leaving the final act to Jackie's big showdown with the film's real villains. Speaking of which, the bombers are sort of boring bad guys, with only one of them turning out to be awesome. The "weakest link" of their group is a scrawny little dude that's a deaf-mute, but he's agile, feisty, and throws a variety of incendiaries at Jackie during their brawl.

In the end, the movie runs a bit too long and doesn't have enough action to fill up the running time in my opinion. (Though the fight scene in the playground is pretty awesome!) And the bad guys just didn't rock my world aside from the weird little mute guy. Still, there's a lot of great stunts by the Chan-man here, and I love his interactions with his superiors this time around as they are mainly played for laughs.

Though it's a half hour too long, and one fight scene short, I still enjoyed POLICE STORY 2 and gladly give it:

THREE 'RADS'

BLU-RAY REVIEW

The Packaging: Both films come on one Blu-ray disc in a standard Blu-ray case. The over art, which you can check out at the top of the post, isn't anything fancy.

Audio & Video: Each film has four audio choices: ENGLISH DUBBED 5.1 DTS-MASTER HD, ENGLISH DUBBED 2.0 DTS-MASTER HD, CANTONESE 5.1 DTS-MASTER HD, and CANTONESE 2.0 DTS-MASTER HD. I watched both films with 5.1 English dubbing and was more than happy with it, though sometimes it seemed that the dialogue was a bit too low at times in POLICE STORY 2. Naturally I cranked up the surround sound to hear better, which resulted in some much louder-than-anticipated explosions and gunshots at times.

The video quality of both films is good, though POLICE STORY 2 proves to be the better-looking of the two. It has a much cleaner video presentation with far less grain than POLICE STORY. I'm guessing that this is the best Shout! Factory could do with the film elements that were provided for their use? Come to think of it... I actually own POLICE STORY on DVD (the Dragon Dynasty Special Edition) and may pop it in at some point to compare the picture quality. Even if it's not as good or at least on par, I may keep it because it has more extra features.

The Extras: On the back of the Blu-ray cover, it states that the only extras are "Outtakes" and "Theatrical Trailers." This is mostly true as there are a few other goodies hiding on the disc. POLICE STORY has the original Hong Kong trailer, the U.S. trailer, Outtakes, Deleted Scenes (most of which run only a few seconds), an extended opening sequence, and an "alternate ending." The video quality of most of these extras is not very good (the gents at Bluray.com seem to believe that it was sourced from a video transfer) and are oddly shown in a "windowbox" format.

POLICE STORY 2 fares a bit better (some of the extras are actually in HD!) and boasts outtakes, the international trailer, the original Hong Kong trailer, and alternate outtakes.

Final Ruling: For fifteen bucks, you really can't complain about this double feature Blu-ray. You get two cool Jackie Chan flicks with a better than average video presentation and good audio. On top of that, you get a handful of extras and cool menus that blare the franchise's theme song, HERO STORY, as sung by Jackie Chan himself. Speaking of which......


It's not a perfect release, but it's probably the best we can expect for these two Jackie Chan classics. I'm more than content with the presentation of the films, and though I'm not a fan of the windowboxing on the bulk of the extra features, I think this double feature release is worth picking up and worthy of:

THREE 'RADS'

Shout! Factory's POLICE STORY/POLICE STORY 2 DOUBLE FEATURE comes out on DVD & Blu-ray on April 16th and can be pre-ordered relatively cheaply on Amazon.com:

PRE-ORDER THE DVD FOR $9.99!
PRE-ORDER THE BLU-RAY FOR $14.99!

NOW PLAYING: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE, THE CALL, & UPSIDE DOWN.

Hey cinemagoers! Yours truly hasn't seen a movie on the big screen in a few weeks because cash is tight, but that won't stop me blogging about all the new stuff hitting theaters! This weekend you can check out Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi as a pair of washed-up magicians who have to combat the street-magic of Jim Carrey in order to reignite their careers, or you could watch Halle Berry get someone killed thanks to a 911 callback, which haunts her until she can finally avenge the victim and bring the killer to justice, OR you could be lucky enough to catch a limited theatrical release for UPSIDE DOWN which is a sci-fi, fantasy, romance! Watch some trailers below and make up your mind on what you'll catch before the weekend is through. First up is THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE:


It's probably terrible, but I just can't help but want to check out this new comedy. Carell and Buscemi look like a low rent version of Sigfried and Roy, and Alan Arkin knocks it out of the park as a washed up old school magician. Also, Olivia Wilde is never hard on the eyes, and Jim Carrey seems to be giving a funny and rather subdued performance. It's cliched as all hell, but dammit, I want to see it! (Don't judge me!)


I've heard a few good things about this one, but it looks so damned cliched (even more so than BURT WONDERSTONE), and anything produced by WWE Films makes me leery. (Though I have to admit that SEE NO EVIL and THE MARINE were pretty decent.) Methinks it'll probably be a decent thriller, but will probably fall apart towards the end, when it leads to a one-on-one battle between Halle Berry and the film's villain. I'm skipping it for now but may give it a rental down the road.


Aside from the icky love aspect of it, UPSIDE DOWN looks interesting. Not sure if it's supposed to be Earth or an Earth-like planet, but regardless, there are two mirror worlds with the lower one being normal (though destitute) and the upper one being upside down (and wealthy) and looking down upon it's neighbor. (SYMBOLISM!) No one from below is allowed to communicate with anyone above, but naturally two kids from the opposite landscapes find each other upon a mountain peak and form a bond, that eventually turns into an all out romantical yearning for one another.

Naturally this is frowned upon so lover boy must escape from authorities and somehow find a way to spend his life with Kirstin Dunst, or die trying. This is something that appeals to me on a visual level, but will also keep my fiancee's interest because there's that whole romantic angle. It's not playing anywhere around here, so I'll be waiting for the eventual DVD release to scope it out.

Also, there's a new film from Goro Miyazaki (son of the famous Hayao Miyazaki) called FROM UP ON POPPY HILL in select theaters this weekend. Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you were looking for something good and different.

Indie Film Roundup: 2 VHS docs, Wolf Cop, and Fist of Jesus!

I've recently discovered several new indie films that are in various stages of production (mostly by accident; God Bless the internet!), and I think you'll all be psyched about each one of them. We've got two VHS documentaries, and two horror-comedies that will have you waxing nostalgic and cheering for more gory hijinks! First up is a completed VHS documentary called REWIND THIS!


Featuring interviews with Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman, Full Moon's Charles Band, and various directors and VHS fans/collectors, REWIND THIS! takes a look at the rise and fall of the VHS tape, and its continued popularity despite being a "dead format." It looks quite interesting and just made its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, which ends this weekend. No word on a DVD (or VHS?) release date yet, but to keep up on what's new with the film and to learn more about it, be sure to visit its official site at www.rewindthismovie.com!

But REWIND THIS! is not alone folks, for this is another, much smaller budgeted documentary in the works called ADJUST YOUR TRACKING, that takes another look at the world of the VHS tape, and the people that still collect them. Scroll down a bit for the bitchin' poster and the teaser trailer. CLICK HERE to visit the official site and learn more about this upcoming documentary!

This makes me pine for my old VCR! So cool!

Continuing on, its time to look at some new indie films that blend Horror, gore, and comedy together. First up is WOLF COP, the tale of a drunken cop named Lou Garou (HA!) who ends up becoming a drunken lycanthropic police officer! The filmmakers have created a hilariously awesome concept trailer and are currently battling it out with other indie hopefuls on CineCoup to earn a million bucks to make WOLF COP a reality. Check out the concept trailer below, then head over to the main website (www.wolfcop.com) to find out how you can help get this flick made!


Finally, I need to give some love to the most insane indie film project I've come across in a while. Imagine if Jesus Christ himself, while bringing Lazarus back to life, accidentally screwed up and created the first ever zombie plague on Earth. And hey, what if Jesus (and Judas) battled the undead hordes to save humanity?! That is the concept for FIST OF JESUS (a.k.a. ONCE UPON A TIME IN JERUSALEM).

A short film by collaborators/co-directors David Muñoz & Adrián Cardona is currently up on Youtube, and they are attempting to pull together funds to create a feature-length version. Check out the FIST OF JESUS short below (these gents are all from Spain, so keep that in mind when you are assailed by English subtitles), then head on over to the official site (www.fistofjesus.com) for production updates and to help donate to the completion of a movie that can only be described as "The Greatest Story Ever Told" meets "Dead-Alive!" Enjoy!


HAHAHAHA! Extra points for the random inclusion of ZOMBIE COWBOYS! This really looks awesome; I hope they pull together the funds to make the feature-length version.

Oh, and since we're currently on the topic of the epic tag-team of David Muñoz & Adrián Cardona, here is their short film BRUTAL RELAX, which features aquatic man-eating zombie creatures paying the price for ruining the relaxation attempts of a violently insane gentleman named Mr. Olivares. Needless to say... THIS. IS. AWESOME!

V/H/S 2 coming this Summer!

I got V/H/S for Christmas and still have yet to watch it. Heck, by the time I do get around to it, I can probably check out its sequel! (Wow, that was quick. They didn't waste any time in franchising this did they?) V/H/S 2 (which I thought was going to be S-V/H/S) will feature another scenario involving mysterious VHS tapes full of horrifying imagery and will hit on demand services on June 6th, and get a limited theatrical release on July 12th. Details are still sparse (can't even seem to find a poster for the movie yet) but I've got a synopsis, teaser trailer, and a few photo stills to share with you.

SYNOPSIS:
Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his abandoned house and find another collection of mysterious VHS tapes. In viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be terrifying motives behind the student’s disappearance.

Hmm... not really too much to go on there, is there? Well maybe the teaser trailer will enlighten us a bit more about some of the crazy stuff the investigators find on those VHS tapes:


Yeah it looks pretty solid, I'll most definitely give it a look. If you like what you've seen so far, here's a few images direct from the film to get you psyched for more found footage shenanigans.

NO ONE MOVE, OR THE GUY IN THE WHITE SHIRT GETS IT!

Stop crying. It's just a flesh wound.

Once again V/H/S 2 will be available to stream through various VOD services on June 6th. I am most definitely gonna give it a look that weekend; will be a great way to get pumped for the next Hudson Horror Show!