!!! Hallo. Vould You Like To Have A Roll in Ze Hay? Rolls, Rolls, RollsIn Ze Hay! (More Blu-Ray News) !!!

Inga: Werewolf!
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Werewolf?
Igor: There.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: What?
Igor: There, wolf. There, castle.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Why are you talking that way?
Igor: I thought you wanted to.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No, I don't want to.
Igor: [shrugs] Suit yourself. I'm easy.
-Young Frankenstein

Yes, as you can see, I love Mel Brooks. I own every movie he has made, and "Young Frankenstein" is one of the very best. The man knew how to get us to laugh at some of the most cherished film genres without making fun of the movies they were based on. Mel Brooks loved movies, and he grew up watching those Saturday matinees, that showcased cowboys, space men, historical epics, musicals, silent movies (on occasion), war films, and most importantly monster movies. Mel has worked in every genre of film that Hollywood can find, but does it with a wink and a nudge. It's extremely evident that Mel loves the original movies that inspired his comedies. That attention to detail and the care he takes with each of his parodies shows that he is a huge fan of motion pictures. Mel Brooks is an institution and, while there is a wonderful Blu-ray set of his movies out now, that's not what this is about. This is about one of the most exciting Blu-ray announcement that has happened this week (yes, even better than Indiana Jones, which is saying a lot).


I love "Young Frankenstein", not only because it's hilarious, but because I love the film that it was based on. In 1931, Universal Studios made one of the greatest horror films ever, when they released "Frankenstein" to an unsuspecting public. It has become a classic, that has never been upstaged by any remakes or reboots. Young Frankenstein comes close, but this is a comedy we're talking about (it loves and respects it's source, but never surpasses the original). They had already had success with these kinds of movies starting in 1923 with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and followed it with "The Phantom of the Opera". Both movies featured the great Lon Chaney Sr. and became huge audience draws. Universal hit it big again in 1931 with "Dracula" starring Bela Lugosi and followed that (the same year no less) with "Frankenstein". Thus began the long and glorious history of The Universal Monsters. They are recognized in almost every country and there images and likenesses have shaped the way we think about these creatures. Universal didn't create these characters, but they made them iconic and gave these old stories new life. They were ahead of there time using ideas and situations in order to adapt these stories into features, that while beholden to the original books in their basic premise, used new and innovative ways of telling these tales for a visual audience. I could right an entire post on the hidden symbolism in these movies and the cultural and societal views that they were attacking in a time that shunned political and social discourses. Back then, you weren't suppose to rock the boat, the makers of these films did just that and they didn't even get wet. "These films were just B-movie haunted house scares, they were not trying to make statements," says you. "Sometime the best place to hide is out in the open," says I. So, we'll save that till another day. For now, I want to tell you about the wonderful gift that Universal Studios Home Entertainment has bestowed on us.

On October 2nd. Universal will release a box set of their classic monster movies for the first time on Blu-ray high def. In a press release on their Facebook page (link below) they gave us the following:

Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Eight Chilling Classics from the Studio that Pioneered The Horror Genre, Digitally Restored and Released on Blu-Ray™ for the First Time Ever in Celebration of Universal’s 100th Anniversary

UNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION

The Ultimate Box Set with eight Films Plus Over 12 Hours of Bonus Features Arrives October 2nd, Just in Time for Halloween!

For the first time ever, eight of the most iconic cinematic masterpieces of the horror genre are available together on Blu-ray™ as Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection debuts on October 2, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Digitally restored from high resolution film elements in perfect high-definition picture and perfect high-definition sound for the first time ever, Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection brings together the very best of Universal's legendary monsters—imaginative and technically groundbreaking tales of terror that launched a uniquely American movie genre. This definitive collection features eight films on Blu-ray™, a collectible 48-page book featuring behind-the-scenes photographs, original posters, correspondence and much more. Each iconic film is accompanied by an array of bonus features that tell the fascinating story of its creation and history, including behind-the-scenes documentaries, filmmaker commentaries, interviews, storyboards, photo galleries, and trailers. Especially appealing for fans are a never-before-seen featurette about the restoration of Dracula and the first ever offering of Creature from the Black Lagoon in its restored Blu-ray™ 3D version.

From the era of silent movies through the present day, Universal Pictures has been regarded as the home of the monsters. Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection honors the studio's accomplishments with the most iconic monsters in motion-picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Featuring performances by legends of the horror genre, including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., Claude Rains and Elsa Lanchester, these eight iconic films also feature groundbreaking special effects and innovative makeup that continue to influence filmmakers into the 21st century. Sure to be a Halloween favorite for years to come, Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection is the ideal gift for film buffs and horror aficionados alike.

Dracula (1931) - both the American and Spanish versions of the film, 3 featurettes (Dracula: The Restoration (NEW), The Road to Dracula and Lugosi: The Dark Prince), Monster Tracks (interactive Pop-Up Facts), the Dracula Archives, the optional score by Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet, audio commentary (by film historian David J. Skal), audio commentary (by Steve Haberman, screenwriter of Dracula: Dead and Loving It) and a trailer gallery.

Frankenstein (1931) - 4 featurettes (The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster, Karloff: The Gentle Monster, Universal Horror and 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics), Monster Tracks (interactive Pop-Up Facts), the Frankenstein Archives, Boo!: A Short Film, audio commentary (by film historian Rudy Behlmer), audio commentary (by historian Sir Christopher Frayling) and a trailer gallery.

The Mummy (1932) - 4 featurettes (Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed, He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce, Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy and 100 Years Of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era), the Mummy Archives, audio commentary (by Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman, Bob Burns and Brent Armstrong), audio commentary (by film historian Paul M. Jensen) and a trailer gallery.

The Invisible Man (1933) - 2 featurettes (Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed and 100 Years of Universal: Unforgettable Characters), a Production Photographs gallery and audio commentary (by film historian Rudy Behlmer).

Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - 2 featurettes (She's Alive! Creating The Bride of Frankenstein and 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics), the Bride of Frankenstein Archive, audio commentary (by film historian Scott MacQueen) and a trailer gallery.

The Wolf Man (1941) - 5 featurettes (Monster by Moonlight, The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth, Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr., He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot), the Wolf Man Archives, audio commentary (by film historian Tom Weaver) and a trailer gallery.

Phantom of the Opera (1943) - 2 featurettes (The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot), a Production Photographs gallery, audio commentary (by film historian Scott MacQueen) and the theatrical trailer.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) - both the 2D and 3D versions of the film, 2 featurettes (Back to The Black Lagoon and 100 Years of Universal: The Lot), a Production Photographs gallery, audio commentary (by film historian Tom Weaver) and a trailer gallery.

Holy, Bela Lugosi's Widows Peak, Batman, that sounds amazing. I already own these movies on DVD and spent much time and mucho dinero to acquire them, but with a line up like that and special features to boot, count (see what I did there) me in. These movies are Classic with a capital "C" (yes I know that I had already capitalized the "C" in classic, I was going for dramatic effect) and if you don't own them and have never seen them, well what a perfect Halloween gift for someone (I hope to get my list to "The Great Pumpkin" soon), or yourself. I promise, "You won't regret this, Ray. Everyone has three mortgages nowadays." Until next time, "it's Fronkensteen, Fronkensteen!"

Todd "Puttin' on da Ritzzzz" B.

[Universal Studios Home Entertainment and The Digital Bits]

This was to good to pass up, I really want to see this movie! Rock on, Twifarts!!

!!! "I Will Love Him, And Hug Him, And Squeeze Him, And I Will Call Him George." Lucas Dat Is (New Blu-Ray Releases) !!!

I Got Two Words To Say To The Haters, "Bantha Poodoo!" ?!?

I stand before you this night to issue a dire warning about the future of our planet. Recent events have occurred that fundamentally alters the fabric of the universe. I say these things to prepare you and guide you so you might be stable enough to weather the storm that is to come. The events of the past two days have significantly escalated the time table for these momentous phenomenon to take place. As it stands now we are wholly unprepared to face the coming tide. I pray that you will hear these words and they will motivate you into swift action. It is coming and it cannot be stopped, but it can be defeated...

"Save us all, the world is coming to an end. Hide yo wife, hide yo kids, hide yo strippers, cause we all dying up in here!!!"-Antoine Dodson (of the near future)


Wait... What? You thought I was talking about the end of the world. No, no I was talking about the total reduction in funds that is going to occur between the months of September and December. Literally, I and many other will have to sell our kidneys in order to afford the new Blu-ray sets that they have scheduled this fall. The dire catastrophe that will occur, will only happen in our wallets and bank accounts as yet another poor, retched studio executive, living off his meager sum of 35million a year, needs to pass the plate around to all us generous, caring consumers, so that his children do not have to suffer the pain and anguish of having to go to private school without the latest custom fitted Nike Air Kobe Edition sneakers or the latest Dolce & Gabbana fashions adorned on their malnourished (read: crash diet) and sickly (read: coked up) frames. Yes, I too have thought that an infomercial about the plight of the lowly Hollywood exec. would bring in many donations to help end executive abuse. We need to quit being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. Give today!

That brings me to the reason that we, the consumer, will gladly throw money to these people, because they are throwing product right back at us. So, prepare to be broke.

Today, Lucasfilm and Paramount Home Media Distribution have announced the release date for the Blu-ray box set of the Indiana Jones Moves in High definition. They also added some specific detail about what the set will include and about the care being given to the films themselves, in order to provide the highest quality possible (I just let out a tiny "yipee" there, won't happen again). Behind the Star Wars Blu-rays (which we have), this is one of the holy grails of the home video market. Here's the box art released for the set and the official announcement from Lucasfilm's Marketing Department:

In June of 1981 director Steven Spielberg and executive producer George Lucas introduced the world to Indiana Jones when the unforgettable Raiders of the Lost Ark debuted in theaters. Exploding to instant acclaim, the film has now been carefully restored, alongside remastered versions of the archaeologist’s other thrilling adventures—Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Prepare for excitement, adventure and snakes—why did it have to be snakes?—all with pristine picture and sound when INDIANA JONES: The Complete Adventures debuts on Blu-ray September 18, 2012 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Media Distribution.

Supervised by director Steven Spielberg and renowned sound designer Ben Burtt, Raiders of the Lost Ark has been meticulously restored with careful attention to preserving the original look, sound and feel of the iconic film. The original negative was first scanned at 4K and then examined frame-by-frame so that any damage could be repaired.

The sound design was similarly preserved using Burtt’s original master mix, which had been archived and unused since 1981. New stereo surrounds were created using the original music tracks and original effects recorded in stereo but used previously only in mono. In addition, the sub bass was redone entirely up to modern specifications and care was taken to improve dialogue and correct small technical flaws to create the most complete and highest quality version of the sound possible while retaining the director’s vision. The result is an impeccable digital restoration that celebrates the film and its place in cinematic history.

The installments in the franchise have won a combined seven Academy Awards®. Relive every heart-pounding thrill like never before as all four films arrive together, for the first time presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio accompanied by a collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes and new bonus features.

Yes, please sir, may I have another (SMACK!!!).

I am going all in on this one. That set will be in my list later on today. I will gladly step up behind the rest of the sheep and drink the Kool-Aid, Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Lucas (I already own copies of these movies on VHS, DVD twice, and now, I'll pony up the dough for a forth go around. Yeah, I know what I am, you don't have to say it). Please, take my money, I'm giving it to you, please!!!

In all seriousness (wow, I didn't know you could do that), this set looks like it's shaping up to be a great thing. With Spielberg's current turn towards the original intent of the filmmaker as opposed to making changes that seem frivolous in hindsight (Guns to Walkie Talkies, that's worse than Lucas. That's for all you prequel haters out there, go run off and see The Hunger Games, you blight on the face of genre fans everywhere you.). So, it sounds as though Spielberg wants to preserve the film as close to the original intent as possible. I'll be looking for the piece of glass visible between Harrison Ford and the Asp when he falls into The Well of Souls just like everyone else. Can't wait.

The second big Blu-ray set announced this week comes from Universal in the form of a classic movie collection. When I say classic, these movies epitomize the word. This set takes you into the tales of one of greatest filmmakers the world has ever seen (oh, yeah, I'm a fan). If there is one artist that I would aspire to be if I were a young director, this would be the man. His films should be a requirement in college courses. He was cool before directors were cool. Every great filmmaker working today will say, if asked, that this man was a huge influence in their careers as artists (Get to it already! Shut up, I am.).

Universal is releasing for a limited time only, Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection 15-film box set on Blu-ray Disc on 9/25. They had released this same set on DVD a few years ago and I didn't "pull the trigger", as some might say. By the time I was ready, Blu-ray was the big thing and I thought, "Why not wait and see if they ever release these movies on Blu?" My instincts proved correct and now the great king Hitchcock will reward me with a gift (that I have to buy with my own money, I don't think I like this kingdom). Nevertheless, this is great news for all the hitch-aphiles out there (glad I didn't say cock-aphiles, oops). Remember to support your local movie watching community and give them the gift of coc... Hitch for their viewing pleasure. Here's the specs and pictures:

Saboteur (1942) - Supplements will include Saboteur: A Closer Look behind-the-scenes featurette; Storyboards for the "Statue of Liberty" setpiece; Alfred Hitchcock's sketches; Production photographs; and Theatrical trailer.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - w/Beyond Doubt: The Making of Hitchcock's Favorite Film behind-the-scenes featurette; Production drawings by art director Robert Boyle; Production photographs; and Theatrical trailer.

Rope (1948) - w/Rope Unleashed behind-the-scenes featurette; Production photographs; and Theatrical trailer.

Rear Window (1954) - w/Commentary with Hitchcock's Rear Window: The Well-Made Film author John Fawell; 5 Behind-the-scenes featurettes; Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts; Production photographs; Theatrical trailers; and Re-release trailer narrated by James Stewart.

The Trouble with Harry (1955) - w/The Trouble with Harry Isn't Over behind-the-scenes featurette; Production photographs; and Theatrical trailers.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) - w/The Making of The Man Who Knew Too Much behind-the-scenes featurette; Production photographs; and Trailers.

Vertigo (1958) - w/Two audio commentaries (Associate producer Herbert Coleman, restoration team Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz, and other Vertigo participants, and Filmmaker William Friedkin); Obsessed with Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock's Masterpiece; Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators; The Vertigo Archives; Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts; Foreign censorship Ending; 100 Years of Universal featurette: The Lew Wasserman Era; Theatrical trailer; and restoration theatrical trailer.

North by Northwest (1959) - w/Commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman; 4 behind-the-scenes featurettes; Music-only audio track; Stills gallery; and Theatrical trailers and TV spot.

Psycho (1960) - w/Commentary with Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho author Stephen Rebello; 3 Behind-the-scenes featurettes; Breakdowns of the "Shower Scene" setpiece; The Psycho Archives; Vintage newsreel: The Release of Psycho; Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts; Posters and Psycho ads; Lobby cards; Behind-the-scenes photographs; Production photographs; Theatrical trailer; and re-release trailers.

The Birds (1963) - w/All About The Birds; Vintage Universal International newsreels; The Birds Is Coming; Suspense Story: National Press Club Hears Hitchcock; Tippi Hedren's screen test; Hitchcock-Truffaut interview excerpts; Deleted scene; Original ending; Storyboards; Production photographs; 100 Years of Universal featurettes; Theatrical trailer; and Blu-ray exclusive The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie.

Marnie (1964) - w/The Trouble with Marnie behind-the-scenes featurette; The Marnie Archives feature; and Theatrical trailer.

Torn Curtain (1966) - w/Torn Curtain Rising behind-the-scenes featurette; Selected scenes scored by Bernard Herrmann; Production photographs; and Theatrical trailer.

Topaz (1969) - w/Alternate endings; Topaz: An Appreciation with film historian and critic Leonard Maltin; Storyboards for "The Mendozas" setpiece; Production photographs; and Theatrical trailer.

Frenzy (1972) - w/The Story of Frenzy behind-the-scenes featurette; Production photographs; Theatrical trailer.

Family Plot (1976) - w/Plotting Family Plot behind-the-scenes featurette; Storyboards for the chase scene; Production photographs; and Theatrical trailer.
The boxed set will also include a 50-page book featuring storyboards, costume sketches, correspondence, and rare photographs.

Peace Out!!

Todd "mother" B.

[Comingsoon.net and High-Def Digest]

!!! Put The Bunny Back In The Box And Other Sayings Of Nicholas Cage,Only Known Living Vampire (Blu-Ray Reviews) !!!

Did Kate Beckinsale Have A Nose Job Or Have My Standards Lowered (Yep, She Had A Nose Job)???

I Love Motion Pictures (no huge secret on this site)! I love to watch them, I love to talk about them, and I love to read about them. Even the history of cinema fascinates me and I can't seem to get enough. I am amazed by the process that goes into the making of a film. From lighting to special effects, from cinematography to craft services, ever step of a film's journey draws me into that world. There is a large section of the population who cares which star is dating who and how long it will be before Lindsey Lohan gets arrested again (apparently not long), but for me that stuff is nothing compared to the hard work and dedication it takes to actually bring a film to movie screens. Actors will always be needed and some I want to see succeed (Downey Jr.), but, unbeknownst to some of them, they are only a small part of the glorious machine that makes fantasy a reality (and sometimes reality an over exaggeration of itself). Movies are an escape, movies are dreams made real, and we can leave our everyday lives behind to spend a little time in those places. Not every movie is good, but there is good in almost every movie (maybe not Ishtar). Someone on every production in Hollywood gives everything they have to a film because they know that they are blessed to be working in the industry. That being said, there are decisions made on films that make me say, "What?" This brings me to this weeks Blu-Ray reviews.


I hope to be able to bring you reviews of movies that have recently been released on Blu-Ray and give you an idea of whether it's worth a purchase or a pass. I will say up front, from a technical standpoint, I am wholly inadequate to give you an informed opinion. Like my father says, "I know just enough to be dangerous." Yes, I have an HD TV and a THX 7.1 surround home theater system, but the best I can do if you ask me how a movie sounds and looks on Blu-Ray is "good" or "bad". There are websites that do a much better job in reviewing the technical aspects of the discs and I will leave that up to them (check out the links at the end). So, for the purpose of these articles, I will try to tell you what I thought of the films themselves and maybe a little about the special features. Remember, that when it comes to movies, "good" and "bad" are relative terms. I always say, "like what you like, take nothing back." Oh, by the way, if you like Ishtar, more power to you (even though you're weird).

I got a chance to check out three movie on Blu-Ray this past week. I enjoyed all three to varying degrees, some more than others. Like I said earlier, some movies are great, some are good, some have good elements but poor choices, some are bad, and some are so bad, they're good (why yes, I am referring to you "Mega Python vs. Gatoroid"). No matter what you like, just make sure that you enjoy ever minute of it. Life's too short not to have fun.

Let's start with the eternal one himself, Nic Cage. The man has been in some bad films, there's no denying that. But Nicky is like that crazy uncle that comes over for Thanksgiving dinner, drinks too much, and proceeds to tell of the time he and two strippers were stranded on a desert island and they decided they needed to repopulate the species (the strippers weren't very bright), so he became the king of the tribe he fathered and they still live on the island today, oh, and they almost sacrificed him to the volcano gods (strangely, that sounds like the plot to a Nic Cage movie). So, I like the man. I can't help it, he makes me smile. I finally got to see "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence" and it definitely contains all sorts of Nic Cage crazy. I liked the first Ghost Rider (as opposed to all of you who didn't) and I felt that it was close to the comics and their tone. I had high hopes for the second one and while I will say that the visual aspect of "SoV" is good, several creative choices derail this version of the character. This is one of those reboots that's not a reboot (it makes no sense to me either). Nicky's back as old flame head but no one else from the original makes an appearance here. Mark Steven Johnson is gone as director and replaced by Neveldine and Taylor of the "Crank" franchise. The Crank films are flashy, stylized, and over the top (see where we're going here?) and the studio hoped they would bring the same thing to Ghost Rider. Unfortunately, for the viewer and comic lover, that is exactly what they did. This is what I'm talking about when I say bad decision making. You have to have the right directors for the right movies, because when you don't bad things happen. That craziness they brought to the Crank films is all wrong here. Johnny Blaze might be crazy but he's not a clown. Nic Cage does a fine job being Nic Cage, but I would rather see him be Ghost Rider. You would think that when Ghost Rider is on screen (and the effects are impressive to look at) it would be the highlight of the film. Here again, bad decisions rear their ugly head. There is a moment in the film where Ghost Rider grabs a bad guy by the back of the head and proceeds to perform the "Penance Stare" on him. The Marvel Database explains it like this, "When in close combat, the Ghost Rider locks eyes with his victim and makes him or her feel every pain that that individual has ever inflicted on anyone else innocent in their lifetime." Neveldine and/or Taylor fail to convey that to the audience and Ghost Rider just appears to be staring longingly into the baddie's eyes.

Ghost Rider: "Oh, I love you henchman (deep demonic voice)."

Henchman: "Oh, I love you too, Ghost Rider (high-pitched girly voice)."

That's exactly what it looks like. I want to see Ghost Rider taking villains out like the bad@$$ I know he is, not staring at them for fifteen minutes. This trend continues when Nic interrogates this dude for information latter in the film. He is doing the crazy, I can hardly contain what's inside me, bit and then rushes off to use the info he just got to locate this boy (who may or may not be Danny Ketch, the second Ghost Rider). Thus follows an extended sequence of Nicky riding his motorcycle and changing into Ghost Rider. Why? Why is this scene here? I already know he turns into the Ghost Rider (from the helpful cartoon that you had at the start of the film and the previous film), I don't need to spend twenty minutes seeing it happen again (see, bad decision making). Just get to the Rider kicking tail, that's what I want to see (and had already seen in the trailer). The visual effects are great and I love the look of the Rider here more than I did in the first movie, but come on, these movies are suppose to be fun not tedious. Don't get fancy, boys, it does the movie and us no favors. I would be perfectly happy if Fox would let the rights to Ghost Rider slip back to Marvel and maybe they can pull a Hulk makeover for the match head. The rest of the film is just kind of there, the only real standout is of course, the always fantastic Edris Elba. He is always extremely watchable and this is no exception. If you are a fan of Ghost Rider you may want to give this a rent, if you're not forget this movie exists and go on with your life. All Hail, the vampire king!!

Next up, "Underworld: Awakening" is the continuation of that particular franchise. I like these movies (guilty pleasure) and, of course, i'm in favor of any movie that shuns the "I'm in love with a sparkly vampire and a werewolf that runs around without a shirt on" crap. A war between vampires and werewolves is a fantasy that all horror lovers have had at one time or another (Universal even put the Wolf Man and Dracula in a movie together, in the 1940's). Are these movies high art? Of course not, they aren't directed by Scorsese after all. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy them for the craziness alone. Plus, Kate Beckinsale in skin tight black leather, need I say more? My only real question about the movie is a fairly obvious one. What world changing thing does Scott Speedman need to be doing that he can't show up on set for two days (that's all it would have taken) and collect a small "I don't want to be homeless" check? Does anyone know the answer to that one? Does anybody really care? It cost more to digitally insert his face on some other actor's body than they would have had to spend to film him outright (they also had to pay him for his likeness, so now we're just throwing money away). Why not just kill him off screen and move on? There I just had to get that out. Now I am better. Moving on. If you are a fan of the Underworld series or just like fun movies with hot women (Kate Beckinsale in skin tight leather, remember?), then this is right up your alley. Go have fun.

My last review is most certainly my favorite of the three. I had a good time with Underworld, but I was blown away by "Chronicle". Where did this movie come from? If you haven't seen it then I'm not going to spoil it here. The story is fairly straight forward. Kids find crazy artifact, kids get superpowers, kids do cool things, and kids deal with good and evil. Sounds like any comic book origin story you ever heard, right? Wrong, this is so much more. Box Office Mojo says that it was made for 12 million dollars. I'll repeat that, 12 million. I sit here in awe of the amazing things they accomplished in this film on such a small budget. This is one of those films that defies the conventional wisdom that the more money you spend on a film the better it will be. Sometimes it's about the filmmakers and the creative people behind a project that make a movie work. Great ideas and great execution trumps money any day of the week. It's still amazing the things that happen in this movie. You really need to see it. Josh Trank, the director, is already being talked about to reboot The Fantastic Four for Fox and is it any surprise that the writer is Max Landis, son of John. Turns out Max is pretty awesome as seen "here". From what I hear, there will be a sequel. I hope they don't screw it up by NOT BRINGING EVERYONE BACK (just a subtle hint, Hollywood executive types)!!! Oh, and Chronicle is a found footage movie (I almost forgot that fact because the film is so good, unlike most of those flicks). The gimmick here is so well done after a while you hardly notice it. That is a testament to great direction and great writing. I could not recommend this film more. If you don't own it you should.

The picture quality on all three films is great (even the found footage of Chronicle). The sound mixes are full and expansive. The extras are decent though not comprehensive. Still, two out of three ain't bad. If you want specs and in depth analysis check out the links at the bottom of the page. I'll be back later with more news and rumors so, "hang on back there!"

Todd "I got a panty on my head" B.

[High-Def Digest, Blu-ray.com, and DVDfile]



That's pretty convincing, wouldn't you say?

Nic Cage as Johnny Cage, for Josh!!

[Nic Cage as Everyone]

!!! Beam Me Up, Scotty... Uh, Geordi... Uh, Chief O'Brien... Somebody,Beam Me The "Frak" Up... Oh, Wrong Show (Star Trek TNG News) !!!

I'll see your Battlestar and raise you a Q!?!

Where does the time go (sometimes they still perform)? Seriously, I turn around and it's "Twenty Five Years" later!! Twenty five years since 1987, twenty five years since "Robocop", twenty five years since Michael Jackson's "Bad" was released and twenty five years since "Star Trek: The Next Generation" premiered on the "Telly" (I'm not British, I just like to use British slang). I remember already being a huge Star Trek fan because of my Mom, who loved the original series, and I was extremely excited to have new Trek for my viewing pleasure. I drank in that first season like a man in the desert who just found an oasis, and you know what I found out? Wait for it...


It wasn't that great.

Don't get me wrong I liked it but I don't know if I was in love with it. Then came the second season and I found myself thinking the same thing, "good episode here and there but not a consistent hit. Apparently, I was not the only person to feel this way. The ratings those first two seasons were nothing to write home about. But something happened during the third season that transcends popular culture and rockets a mediocre series into another dimension. Can I put my finger on exactly when it happened? Well, most people will tell you that it was a two part episode (Best of Both Worlds) that changed all the rules, but I don't know. Season three was just better and we finally had a Star Trek we could call our own. It left the shadow of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy and it became it's own animal. It became the Star Trek that I will show my son when he's ready. It became the Trek of my generation (see what I did there?). I love the old guys (original) and I love that series, but I came in after the fact and I couldn't call it mine. I couldn't own it, not that I would be pretentious enough to dictate what any Star Trek creator can do, but TNG was something I could say that I was apart of. I was there from the beginning and I stuck with it all the way through.

I can honestly say I miss that series and the 24th century as a whole. I want more if that. I want more men with bald heads and British accents (that didn't sound right). I want more TNG . It is with that statement that I can say that, for a brief moment this past April, I got my wish.

For the 25th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, all of the principle cast united (in a federation, if you will) onstage at the Calgary Expo for one evening. They told stories, they shared laughs, and they reminded everyone why they should still be doing Star Trek after all these years. Even Wesley Crusher was there (we all love Will Wheaton)!! From everything I've read or heard about that night, it makes me envious of all those who were in attendance. These people like each other and they aren't petty like some ensemble casts can be (I'm looking at you "Saved by the Bell"). There were also special guests in attendance (Q) and other stars of Sci Fi television who took the mike to ask questions (after all they are fans too). I had almost forgotten that this was taking place until I came across this "article" at High-Def Digest. If you are a fan go check this out, though remember that it does carry a PG-13 rating (those TNGers are saucy).

Also remember that you can pick up TNG in all of it's Hi-Def glory on July 24th (ha ha, that Paramount sure is funny) when the first season gets released on Blu-Ray. Go, spend, and tell "the powers that be" that you want more TNG. It's sad that we don't have a Star Trek television show to enjoy week in week out, so go and let your voice be heard anyway you can. WE WANT TREK ON TV!!! Just Do It. Why do I hear Arnold Schwarzenegger voice when I read that last sentence? Yeah, I'm weird. And check out the picture of the entire crew in this article, Picard looks ticked off and there is a goofy guy in a Starfleet uniform, classic!!

Todd "Set Phasers To Kill" B.


[High-Def Digest]

!!! How Much Scarlett Johansson Is Too Much? Well, That's A SillyQuestion (Avengers Rumor) !!!

James Cameron and Peter Jackson are recutting The Avengers to make it 18 hours long (just kidding... sort of) !!!

It looks as thought we may see a longer cut of the Avengers coming down the road. There has been a rumor circulating that Joss Whedon is planning on restoring his original 3+ hour long version of the film for the eventual Blu-Ray release. Director's cuts aren't that uncommon in the home video market and it seems as though every release has at least two versions of a film on the disk (I'm looking at you Blade Runner). I for one don't mind this trend. I love extra footage and sometime it can take a muddled mess of a movie (rhyme much) and make it an incredible film (Example: Kingdom of Heaven). Sometimes these different cuts represent the director's original intent or "Artistic Vision", sometimes they are done to satisfy a fan base, and sometimes the studios needs a reason to hit you up for more money (because we know that the studios are flat broke from all the Internet pirates out there).


Rarely does one of these director's/extended cuts actually make it into a theater after the film's initial run is over. But, this is apparently what's happening to the Avengers.

Take this with a heaping scoop of the white stuff (salt... what did you think I meant?).

Nothing is confirmed at this point, but the inside story is that Marvel and Disney, in an effort to push the Avengers past the Cameron bunch, will rerelease the movie in theaters later this summer as a director's cut. I saw the Avengers twice in theaters (no small feat considering that I have a newborn and a 5 year old), but I might have to pony up the cash to see it again if this rumor turns out to be true. I've already got my preorder in for the Blu-Ray so my sheep mentality is intact. Check out the original story at the link below. What say Ye? Doth thou mother knoweth thou intendth to seeth the filmth againth? My autocorrect just went nuts. Ha, Ha, take that Apple!

Todd "Excelsior" B.

[Superhero Authority]

Yep, never to much of that, no siree!

!!! Ridley Scott Has Got Da Philosophical Skills To Pay Da Bills (MorePrometheus News) !!!

It's Prometheus Week Here In Cabo San Lucas! All You College Kids Grab Your Xenomorph And Get Down Tonight (Watch Those Facehuggers, You Don't Want A Bun In The Oven) !?!?

I'm Baaacck, with more Prometheus news for all you people who can't get enough of those wacky Engineers. I posted my review earlier, which you can view here, but I wanted to do a follow up to that and give you news that has come to light about what's next for this movie.


First, we already have preorders up for the eventual DVD and Blu-Ray releases (well... that was quick). You can head over to your respective favorite online store and drink the Kool-Aid right on up. To go along with that, Collider has an interview with Sir Ridley about what we might expect on the upcoming release (think "extended edition", Oh, and a little about that Blade Runner sequel). Click it and see!

Second, as Josh, Nic, and I sat in the theater after seeing Prometheus and the credits rolled, we were discussing the film when Nic noticed a web address show up at the end of the sequence. That's not unusual in and of itself (lot's of films do it), what was really strange was the date listed for the website, "10.11.12"?!? What the hay? That's not till October? So something is happening in October on the Weyland Industries website. The date also corresponds to the New York Comic Con, so make of that what you will. Also, you may want to check out the Weyland Industries Timeline on the official site to get an idea of what's happening in October. There's also a video that you can check out here. Go Crazy!!

Third, for my more deep thinking readers, I tried, in my review, to present my ideas of what might have been the thinking behind some of the choices made in the movie. I tried to present a convincing argument as to how I saw all these movies tying to together into a cohesive whole. Those were merely the surface of what was going on in Prometheus. I was looking at it with the vision of a fan of the Alien universe. It hadn't occurred to me to go deeper (in my defense, I would have gotten there eventually). Alas, someone has beaten me too it. Cavalorn over at LiveJournal posted a blog about what he thinks the deeper meanings behind Prometheus are. The man has certainly done his homework when it comes to the post, so I'll just say "read" and "discuss", either here in the comments or on the forums. If you are so inclined drop Cavalorn a comment or two and let him know what you think, I'm sure he would appreciate it greatly. My own thoughts are, that in the setting of a fictional universe, this is deep stuff (and I should know, I majored in Theology). The use of myths, legends, and historical facts to craft an incredible backstory to a simple horror tale made 33 years ago and set in space is mind boggling. If even half the things in this blog post were considered by Sir Ridley along with Spaihts and Lindelof, it is an incredible testament to planning and the subtle thoughts behind decisions that were made while filming this movie. If, the first time, we just went to see an Alien prequel, maybe we should all have to go back to college just to see it again.

Todd "Stop Your Grinnin' And Drop Your Linen" B.

[Collider.com and Comingsoon.net]

!! Post Apocalyptic Land Of Enchantment Here We Come (Blu-Ray News) !!

The Mayans were right, the world will end this year!?!?

We are all doomed. It is official. No if, ands, or buts about it, life as we know it is coming to an end. Maybe we will have to fight Cyberdyne for the future or maybe a big asteroid that Bruce Willis (the only man that Nic will ever have to compete with for the love of a woman) fails to stop is the thing that does us in, I don't know, but I know that it's going to happen. How do I know, you might ask? Well, take the news that was just reported by the Digital Bits (in their daily column) about the imminent release of one of the greatest movies to ever grace the silver screen. It will be a 25th Anniversary Edition with special features and everything. And the best part, it's on Blu-ray in hi-def. You may be asking, "What movie could possibly be released on Blu-ray that would be able to cause the end of the world?". We'll here it is.





Wait for it!!!





Masters of the Universe staring Dolph Lundgren!!!

Yes sir, it is now official. Dick Clark is dead. Ray Bradbury is gone (happened yesterday and I didn't get a chance to mention it, he will be missed), and now Masters of the Universe will be released on Blu-ray special edition.

Well played, Mayans, well played.

Todd "fallout shelter" B.

[The Digital Bits]

!!! You Got Your Marvel In My Box Set, You Got Your Box Set In My Marvel !!!

Please Marvel, Take My Money!!

My home theater is "Where It's At" (I'm still waiting on my two turntables and a microphone to be delievered). I love to be able to sit down in my home and get almost the same experience that I have at my local cinema sans the price of a bucket of popcorn and a drink (usually around $800.00 dollars last time I checked). I have more movies on home video than Kim Cardasian (see what I did there trek fans) has had boyfriends, which is a lot. If I like a movie I get it, no renting for me. And If I really like a movie or TV show I'll even buy it multiple times. That sounds silly I know, but there are some series that warrent those kind of crazy decisions. So my movie collection, certainly not complete by any stretch of the imagination (it never will be), is large and extensive (you can also read expensive too).

This brings me to today's news that Marvel and Disney, having already announced The Avengers for release on Blu-Ray and DVD this fall, gave us a teaser on Amazon's website of a huge box set containing not only The Avengers but also the other Marvel Universe movies that proceeded it. It will come in a special package which appears, from the teaser image, to be the briefcase that Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) carries the Tesseract (why don't we call it what it is, "The Cosmic Cube") around in. This set will include:

• Marvel’s The Avengers (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
• Thor (Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray)
• Iron Man 2 (Blu-ray)
• The Incredible Hulk (Blu-ray)
• Iron Man (Blu-ray)
• Bonus Disc – “The Phase One Archives” (Blu-ray)
• Collectible packaging with exclusive memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe

For me this will most likely mean that I get most of those movies again just to get the cool box and awesome swag. If you don't own any of the movies this is the perfect chance to rectify that problem. Get on the band wagon already, where have you people been (just kidding). So for now "Make Mine Marvel". Nuff Said.

Todd "Don't Call Me Stan" B.

[Comingsoon.net via Amazon]