Movie Info:
Writers: Michael Ferris, John D. Brancato
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Cast: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Francis Ginty, James Cromwell, Ving Rhames, Jack Noseworthy, Devin Ratray, Michael Cudlitz
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: September 25, 2009
DVD Release Date: January 26, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.49

Bruce Willis is good at high action, thriller-intensive movies. He’s also good at psychologically messed up Sci Fi. One of my favorite Willis movies just happens to be 12 Monkeys, which isn’t a standard Bruce Willis action flick. Willis is one of the few true blue action heroes that can actually act. Back in the day, I remember watching him on Moonlighting, which showed the guy could be funny and could act, but somehow between then and now, he’s transformed into this bad ass action flick actor who is overlooked for the true talent he has.

For fans who have been fans of Willis as long as I have, you’ve seen the evolution of his career and look forward to nearly everything he’s in. You can guarantee they’ll be action, usually a decent plot, if not, the movie is at least watchable. I knew that I would want to see Surrogates not just from the cool and intriguing trailer, but also because Bruce Willis plays the lead character. I had a feeling I’d like the story behind the movie and I was right.

Going into this review, the only thing I knew about the movie was what I learned from the trailer. I knew the movie was futuristic and I knew people had surrogates, but I had no idea the depths this story would go to, when explaining the purpose of surrogates. As someone in a wheelchair, the entire idea of having a chance to live vicariously through a healthy body is an interesting prospect. While I’d never be able to go to the lengths these people went to by constantly controlling surrogates and having no outside contact with the world, the entire idea of having my own surrogate for when I wanted to experience things I couldn’t due to my chair makes me almost giddy at the thought.

Truth be told, we have our own version of surrogates right here on the web. Online, we can be whoever and whatever we want. While we are not afforded the visual and physical connections to a surrogate, the internet still allows us to live vicariously through the persona(s) we create online. This movie takes all of that to a whole new level and shows how dangerous things could be if everyone had their own surrogate and never had to leave their homes, for anything.

Initially created with physically disabled people in mind, the concept goes out of control, and that is exactly what would happen if surrogates were real in our world. It would ruin interpersonal relationships, keep people locked up and sequestered and destroy the face of the Earth, as we know it. Surrogates would be a game changer, and not necessarily in a good way. I feel this film aptly demonstrates why, as well as why technology (in all the goodness it does provide) should not be used nefariously nor be abused.

Surrogates Plot
The year is 2017. The beginning of the movie tells, through news stories, how surrogates came to be. Originally designed to help physically disabled individuals reclaim their independence by Dr. Lionel Canter (James Cromwell), the company he worked for that created the surrogates has ousted him and made surrogates available to anyone who can afford to buy them. Pretty much the entire world is run by surrogates. The people controlling their surrogates live isolated in their homes and are able to remotely control their surrogates, who live life outside for them.

The surrogates are better looking, nearly indestructible, robots that prevent their operators from feeling any damage or pain. The people operating surrogates live a peaceful existence, or so they believe. When two surrogates are mysteriously murdered and those controlling the surrogates also die, FBI agent, Tom Greer (Bruce Willis), who is using his own surrogate, investigates the murder with his partner, Jennifer Peters (Radha Mitchell). This is the first murder to occur in years, which is puzzling to the agents.

The victim is none other than Jarod Canter, son of the original creator of surrogates. Jarod is actually using one of his father’s surrogates when he is killed, so the investigation leads Greer and Peters back to Canter. This is the first time a controller of a surrogate has died as a result of their surrogate being killed. This kind of technology could destroy the entire world that exists. The case is further complicated when multiple police officers are killed when their surrogates are murdered and Greer nearly dies himself, while pursuing a suspect who has a weapon that can kill the person controlling the surrogates it kills.

With Greer’s surrogate out of commission, the overweight, hurt Greer must leave his home and investigate everything without a surrogate. Things are further complicated when his boss at the FBI suspends him pending further investigation and he must go at the investigation on his own. Greer is led into the hostile territory of The Dreads. This is a camp where those who are against the use of surrogates live. It is a slum that is controlled by their anti-surrogates leader, The Prophet (Ving Rhames). He is allowed to leave, but is told not to return after they discover who he is and that he is looking for Miles Strickland, the man with the killing machine.

The more Greer is out in his own body, the more he realizes what surrogates have done to the world. He tries to get his wife, Maggie (Rosamund Pike), to spend time in her actual body and not her surrogate, but she is still dealing with the loss of their child and wants to hide within the fantasy world surrogates allow her to live within. Feeling his wife growing further apart from him, Greer has nothing to lose from discovering the truth about the death of the surrogates and the bigger plot behind these murders.

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

Audio/Visual:
Fans and non-fans alike should greatly enjoy this video transfer. It’s hard to argue with a well-formatted MPEG-4 AVC 1080p transfer with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. Even though Surrogates is meant to have somewhat of a dark, dank feel to it (especially in certain parts) things always look good from a technical standpoint. The colors are good when they are in a more colorful setting, the blacks are strong, and the film is visually pleasing from a Blu-ray aspect.

The level of detail is impressive, though if you see something that isn’t supposed to be real, sometimes the amazing quality makes it look even less real. In any case, things look good here. You aren’t going to see a movie that is filled with errors. In fact, none come to mind. I don’t recall any glare, noise, or other glaring visual issues. This is a brand new movie and it looks that way.

If you like the visual quality you will love the DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix that is offered for audio purposes. The dialogue passes with flying colors, so there is no complaints from me in this area. Things get pretty exciting when it comes to the surround sound, with lots of full power special effects. Despite that the quiet moments are handled very well, too. You will hear cars whiz by and it will sound real enough that you might think you’re hearing things from outside of your house. This is just the best that Blu-Ray has to offer. In addition to standard audio there are mixes in both French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

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

Bonus Features:
There are more than a couple special features here, but that doesn’t make everything here worth watching. On the whole, fans will probably ignore more than they will watch. That being said, if you’re going to buy the Blu-ray you might want to do so for the movie rather than the added bonuses.

The audio commentary includes the thoughts of the director, Jonathan Mostow. Fans of Surrogates should enjoy this commentary very much. Mostow is an interesting guy with a lot to say about the movie and his vision. He manages to remain engaging throughout the entire commentary, leaving little dead space. If you aren’t a huge fan of the movie, this will provide some insight into the goals that Mostow had for the film. If you are a big fan, this will further cement your love of the movie and the man that made it.

“A More Perfect You: The Science of Surrogates” – This is a short, 15 minute documentary that takes you into the world of Surrogates. The majority of the cast and some crew are featured in interviews. Robotics are discussed and you get to see what a surrogate looks like if they were really made. KNB Effects is also in-house to talk about their makeup work for the movie. There are some good points here, but there isn’t anything ground breaking or that would stop you from safely skipping this.

“Breaking the Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes to Life” – This a shorter documentary, lasting about six or so minutes that deals with the comic book series that the movie was based on by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele. The coolest thing here is the artwork that comes from the series, which is pretty awesome. Otherwise there is not a lot of stuff here worth checking out.

The only other special features included are five minutes worth of pretty useless deleted scenes and a music video for Breaking Benjamin’s “I Will Not Bow.”

Bonus Features: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Surrogates provides a unique, interesting story and it looks good while doing it. This is a perfect example of how good Blu-Ray can be. With killer audio and nearly perfect (it could always get better, but this was still amazing) visual qualities, purchasing this film in Blu-Ray is worth the extra money you’ll pay. Action, thriller, and Sci Fi films deserve movies with releases like this one. While there is plenty of action for all those hardcore, kick ass and take no prisoners Bruce Willis fans, there is just as much story to back up these high impact sequences. Don’t bother renting this, because you’ll want to own it. Save time and purchase it now that it’s out. The Surrogates Blu-Ray comes highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.43 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Blu-Ray, Review, Surrogates, Bruce Willis, Movie, Thriller, Radha Mitchell, Sci Fi, Ving Rhames, Blu-Ray Review, Film

Check out these videos to see why checking out Surrogates is worth it, and stay tuned for our upcoming review of this Blu-Ray.

The Surrogates Trailer:

Here is a featurette:

Check out this Deleted Scene:

Technorati Tags: Surrogates, Videos, Featurette, Deleted Scene, Blu-Ray, movie, Bruce Willis, film, release date, bonuses

With the Surrogates Blu-ray & DVD about to be released, we sit down to chat with actress Radha Mitchell. How does the action star handle stunts in high heels? What’s it like to be a sex symbol? Read on for Radha’s insights into bruises, bungee jumps, Bruce Willis and lots more…

Q: What can you tell us about your new Blu-ray & DVD, Surrogates?
Radha Mitchell: The movie is a sci-fi, action thriller and I play an FBI agent called Peters. The device of the story is that there is a surrogate technology being used in the world and the population is addicted to using it. You plug into a device, which is basically a robot, and that robot goes and performs all of your daily tasks for you. When that happens, you can manicure your life. You can organize and control how you want to live and how you want to feel. However, something goes wrong in this society and my character works alongside Bruce Willis’ character to figure out who committed a murder.

Q: Tell us more about the surrogates…
Radha Mitchell: When the story begins, the technology of surrogates has been around for years. It has been promoted because it’s considered extremely safe. You can have any kind of experience and not feel a thing. For example, you can jump out of a plane, but you’ll never be in physical danger because it’s all done vicariously. However, something terrible has happened to shake up this world – and it’s up to my character and Bruce Willis’ character to find out how and why this murder has occurred.

Q: What would you use a surrogate to do for you? Perhaps you’d like to jump out of a plane?
Radha Mitchell: I think you’d lose part of the experience if you used a surrogate for something like jumping out of a plane. Part of the experience is about risking your own mortality. I’d love to use a surrogate to do all of the boring things in life that I’ve done thousands of times before, like cleaning or household chores. However, I think I’d want to do all of the exciting stuff for myself.

Q: Are you a daredevil at heart?
Radha Mitchell: I haven’t jumped out of a plane, but I did consider it in the past. A friend of mine jumped out of a plane when I was in high school and I remember him coming back with the video, so I thought about doing it back then. Since then, I feel like there’s enough uncertainty in my life as it is without needing to add to the drama. But who knows? Maybe if the opportunity came along, I’d consider it again.

Q: Would you ever consider a bungee jump?
Radha Mitchell: Bungee jumping? No. My most daredevil experience has involved motorbike riding. I survived a motorbike accident because I fell off one, but I’m not too much of a thrill seeker in that sense.

Q: Did you have many action scenes in Surrogates?
Radha Mitchell: I have one action sequence, which was a lot of fun to shoot. I had to drive around downtown Los Angeles on the top of a bus – and my character had to jump from the bus to a car. It was all done in purple high heels, too. That’s the only way to do action scenes!

Q: How much of the stunt work were you allowed to do?
Radha Mitchell: I did some of the stunt work, but there was also a stunt girl on hand. The girl who did my stunts had to swing from ropes between buildings and things like that. There were lawyers on the set making sure I didn’t do too much, but I was allowed to run around in between fast cars and I was strapped to the top of the bus driving through the city. I discovered that I can jump from elevated sections onto targeted marks in high heels, which was fun.

Q: Did you get any bruises along the way?
Radha Mitchell: Yes, I did. I even got a scar. I got scratched jumping onto the back of a car where all of the windows had broken, but I was fine. You live with these things.

Q: Are you an action fan?
Radha Mitchell: I’m not a huge fan of action, but I like it when it’s well done. I like Asian action.

Q: Do you like action roles where you get to kick butt?
Radha Mitchell: I do. I filmed another movie recently where I got to shoot a fight sequence with a zombie and that was a lot of fun. Stunt men really shine in fight sequences and I got to fight a guy in full zombie regalia in a car wash. It was very dramatic and very fun, but I wasn’t in high heels for this one. If you can do it in heels, that’s always a plus.

Q: How does it feel to be a sex symbol?
Radha Mitchell: I don’t think I am a sex symbol. If I was a sex symbol, how would I feel about that? I think that it’s all other people’s projection. It can be fun, but it should never be taken too seriously.

Q: What do you find sexy?
Radha Mitchell: What do I find sexy in the world? I think I find the sun sexy. I think it’s sexy to lie around on the beach all day and have absolutely nothing to do. I think that’s sexy.

Q: What are sexier scenes like to shoot on a movie set?
Radha Mitchell: They are awkward. I wouldn’t wish love scenes on people. They are way too difficult to process. You just have to do them and not think about them.

Q: How much fun did you have shooting Surrogates?
Radha Mitchell: We shot a lot of the movie in Boston, which is a real gritty city where the people are great. I had a driver who had a duel life as a cage fighter, so he was certainly a lot of fun to hang out with every day. We were also near New York, so we could always disappear and visit the Big Apple if we wanted to. It was a big movie, so the sets were elaborate and it was bizarre to play these robots.

Q: Why is it difficult to play a robot?
Radha Mitchell: It’s difficult to play a robot and still keep drama within a scene because what’s robotic is not necessarily dramatic. However, it’s certainly interesting to watch a bunch of robots sitting around talking to each other. It’s an interesting concept to say the least. Playing a robot was a tricky challenge because you have to cut out any idiosyncrasies we have as human beings. You can’t slouch or shake your arms when you move. Robots are clipped, manicured and purposeful in their movements – and there was always someone on set to tell us if we weren’t doing it right.

Q: What was it like to work alongside Bruce Willis?
Radha Mitchell: That was a great experience. He’s the consummate action star and he’s a very funny man. He’s very similar to a lot of the characters he plays and it was a lot of fun to work with him. It was really interesting to see him in the dynamic of the set when he was there.

Q: With the Surrogates DVD and Blu-Ray released soon, how much of a fan of DVDs and Blu-Ray are you?
Radha Mitchell: I’ve just bought a Blu-Ray player and I’m looking forward to using it more. You know what? I love being able to watch movies whenever I feel like it, which is one of the joys of DVDs and Blu-Ray. You can just put on a movie whenever you fancy, which is a luxury that we take for granted – and it’s great.

Q: What DVDs should everyone have in their collection?
Radha Mitchell: I love the way that you can watch a whole season of a TV show in one sitting on DVD. In that respect, I really like shows like True Blood and Mad Men. However, when it comes to movies, everyone should have Blade Runner, The Matrix and Surrogates in their DVD collection.

Q: Does this mean you are a big fan of sci-fi?
Radha Mitchell: I’m not really, but Blade Runner and The Matrix are epic movies that have changed modern cinema. You should have some other classics in your collection, too.

SURROGATES is Available on Blu-ray & DVD January 26th!

Technorati Tags: Surrogates, Radha Mitchell, Interview, DVD, Blu-Ray, Sci Fi, Movies, Q&A, Film Release

Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell, will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 26, 2010. In the meantime, enjoy these Surrogates factoids.

• First-time author Robert Venditti came up with the unique premise while working at Top Shelf Publications in their shipping warehouse in suburban Atlanta.

• “SURROGATES” was filmed on location in Massachusetts, primarily in Boston and surrounding suburbs.

• In addition to mounting the film in several neighborhoods around Boston—the Leather District, the Financial District, the South End, Chestnut Hill, and the home of his alma mater, Cambridge, among them—director Jonathan Mostow also filmed in such Boston suburbs as Worcester, Taunton and Hopedale.

• Studies led the film’s scripters to a Japanese scientist named Hiroshi Ishiguro, who has been using a plastic version of himself to lecture around the world without leaving his Osaka office. They also uncovered a rhesus monkey in North Carolina that has been wired to make a robot in Kyoto walk, merely by thinking.

• The actual robotic look of the main cast and hundreds of extras appearing in the film came to life through the combined efforts of the film’s two makeup departments—the key makeup under the guidance of Oscar®-winner Jeff Dawn (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”), and the special prosthetic designs courtesy of another Oscar winner, Berger (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”).

• Some of Howard Berger’s unique designs included the crucified corpse of the surrogate Greer after it’s destroyed; shotgun wounds that graphically reveal the mechanical innards of the robotic doubles.

• Director Jonathan Mostow directed “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which earned $450 million in global receipts in the continuation of one of Hollywood’s most fruitful franchises.

• The Surrogates Blu-ray contains the DVD extras plus exclusive bonus features that go into the heart of the film’s intriguing premise: A More Perfect You: The Science of Surrogates, Breaking the Frame: A Graphic Novel Comes to Life, and Four Deleted Scenes

• In addition to his film and television work, director Jonathan Mostow also recently created, for Virgin Comics, The Megas, a four-issue graphic novel series set in an alternative reality, in which the United States is ruled by a monarchy.

Technorati Tags: Surrogates, Factoids, Facts, Bruce Willis, Blu-Ray, DVD release, fun facts, movie trivia

Movie Info:
Writer: Rob Zombie
Director: Rob Zombie
Cast: Sheri Moon Zombie, Chase Wright Vanek, Scout Taylor-Compton, Brad Dourif, Caroline Williams, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, Dayton Callie, Richard Brake, Octavia Spencer, Danielle Harris, Richard Riehle, Margot Kidder
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Sony

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: August 28, 2009
DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

Donald Pleasence is rolling over in his grave. Dr. Loomis has become a substandard, loser and Malcolm McDowell ruins the vision Pleasence created for the character. Loomis is an important part of the original Halloween franchise. This new Loomis is a big joke. I wasn’t fond of McDowell’s portrayal of Loomis in the Halloween remake, though I will admit I respect the differences in Rob Zombie’s overall vision and new take on his remake of the original. However, McDowell becomes even more intolerable in Halloween II as the sellout, writing books about his experience with Michael and only caring enough to profit off of it, which already adds to a train wreck of a movie that derails any potential Zombie’s vision had.

Pleasence’s Loomis was the audience’s true connection to Michael. He studied this child for so many years and knew what he was capable of. His only goal was to keep the world safe from Michael, whom he knew was filled with pure evil. Nothing could have kept Loomis from doing what he believed was the right thing and that would not involve selling out. The new Loomis is so pathetic nobody in the film even likes him. Zombie said he wanted Loomis to change, but the changes he made ruined the character.

The one thing that makes sense concerning Halloween II is the role reversal between Annie and Laurie. In Zombie’s part one, Laurie is very much like Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie (though no one can top Curtis in the role). This Laurie is a bit prudish, a bookworm, and perhaps even a bit shy. Annie, on the other hand, is a party girl who is somewhat of a slut. In part two, after dealing with their own perspective ordeals (Laurie escapes and believes she murdered Michael Myers and Annie survives the mutilation and attempted murder by Michael Myers), Annie has become the homebody. She is responsible for Laurie and her father, the Sheriff, and she also dresses much more conservatively. Laurie lashes out, has constant nightmares, pushes Annie away, and has become a party animal with her new slutty friends. This makes sense based on what the girls have gone through.

The rest of the story makes no sense. Zombie, apparently, wanted a way to include his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie, in this second installment, so he provides the audience with an outlandish story that has nothing to do with the original films and is filled with ghostly encounters and white horses. Young Michael becomes a parody of the egocentric, unfeeling shell of pure evil incarnate Daeg Faerch created in Zombie’s new vision. Replacing Faerch with the whiny, unconvincing Chase Wright Vanek just added to my displeasure with this film. While Faerch captured the creepiness needed to make Michael a believable psycho-serial killer, Vanek acts the part of the dependent, mama’s boy who is only killing to bring his family back together.

Speaking of killing, despite the mama’s boy attitude of the young Michael, Tyler Mane’s Michael is a ruthless, brutal murderer. Part of what made the original Michael Myers so scary and successful as a horror villain was his matter of fact attitude when killing. Mane’s Michael is brutal and he puts his entire body into it. He is a frenzied killer who will stab someone 137 times in a flurry. The original Michael is methodical and demented, but there is no overkill. His deaths are gross, but he is not frenzied in the process. He knows he’s going to kill you so he just does it. He also uses a knife, while Mane’s Michael will use an axe, a gun, or he’ll choke his victims just for the fun of it. Isn’t Michael more fun when he’s knifing a victim to a door? I think so.

The change in Michael’s M.O. is a minor thing, but all of these bad changes add up to provide for a terrible story. I just want to add that Dominick, the king of all pottymouth’s, was not very happy with all the swearing. In some cases, it made sense, but his argument is that Zombie put in so many swear words it distracts from the story. The swearing is done to the point of overkill and some of the dialogue doesn’t need it. If Dom thinks there is too much swearing, there probably is Speaking of the dialogue, that was our biggest issue with Zombie’s Halloween. I can’t say much has changed. A lot of it sounds incredibly awkward, unrealistic and corny. Maybe teenagers talk like Laurie and Annie do, but it makes them sound stupid.

Overall, as you can tell, I wasn’t fond of what Zombie did with his second go-around in the Halloween franchise. While Zombie mainly wrote and directed Halloween II since the studio had decided to make the film and he didn’t want his new vision messed with, the way he sought to expand the franchise makes me wish they’d stopped with the original remake. I’m already dreading Halloween III.

The Halloween II Plot
The movie begins of a flashback in the Sanitarium where Michael Myers (Chase Wright Vanek) is being visited by his mother, Deborah Myers (Sheri Moon Zombie). Michael is given a white horse statue by her. Michael is reminded of a dream he had, a dream of his mother’s spirit walking a white horse and in it she tells Michael she’ll be bringing him home.

Fifteen years later, Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) has just killed Michael Myers (Tyler Mane). Covered in blood, shocked and disoriented, she’s found by Sheriff Lee Brackett (Brad Dourif) and is taken to the hospital. Both Annie Brackett (Danielle Harris) and Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) have survived the attacks by Michael and they are also taken by the paramedics to the hospital.

The coroner believes Michael is dead. His crew loads Michael up into an ambulance to take him to the morgue, but when the ambulance hits a cow, Michael, who is not dead, escapes and kills the surviving paramedic who is trapped in the ambulance. Michael then sees his mother’s spirit with the white horse again. Walking in that direction, he heads down the street to the hospital where he begins a new killing rampage. Laurie has hurt her foot and has to escape with an injured leg. Just as Michael is about to find her, Laurie wakes up and realizes it was all a nightmare. Michael is dead, so they all believe.

It is two years proceeding the events of Halloween. Laurie lives with Sheriff Brackett and Annie, who has recovered physically, but still has scars from her attack with Michael. She has calmed considerably and is a bit of a homebody who takes care of Laurie and her father. Laurie is out of control, mean and unpredictable. She is going to therapy with Barbara (Margot Kidder), but she doesn’t want to be there, has become addicted to the meds proscribed to her and she isn’t getting the obvious help she needs.

Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) has decided to reflect on the tragedy in another way. He’s making a profit on his relationship with Michael and the book he’s written about it. A book tour that includes television appearances and seminars show the media isn’t exactly friendly to Loomis, who they believe is a sellout. Loomis insists Michael is dead, but the media speculates that he is alive, further harming his cause.

The media, of course, is right. Michael is alive and he’s living in the past. Urged on by visions of his mama, Michael heads back to Haddonfield, to claim the sister he never got the chance to take. Of course, Laurie is too busy partying with her new, wild friends and getting drunk to realize her life is still in danger and Loomis is too pompous to consider he is wrong.

Storyline/Plot: 1 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 1 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 2 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
When assessing how good or bad a films visual qualities are, one of the things you need to ask yourself is if the filmmakers image is how they wanted it to be. Halloween II is a prime example of what I am talking about. You see, the film image here is not always pretty. At times, the 1080p, 1.85:1 transfer is muddy, gritty, and altogether darker than it needs to be. It is a movie that shies away from the clear picture you expect from Blu-ray and instead offers something disturbingly grungy. The dark scenes are incredibly dark, leaving something to be desired at times. However, Zombie has a way of making grunge look good. This type of grainy, washed out cinematography works for a horror movie like this one. It wouldn’t suit all films and it’s not going to offer the clarity you expect in a Blu-ray, but it’s not worth complaining about because it does work on many important levels.

While some people might think that the video for Halloween II fails as much as the plot, they will not be able to say the same thing about the audio. This DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack offers the best that Blu-Ray offers without a doubt. Everything from the soft subtle background noises to the forceful stabbings and the powerful supporting music is delivered with relative ease. Sounds come through as real as possible. The thunder and rain sound as if they are coming from outside your window. Try as I might I cannot think of any complaints where this audio is concerned. The surround sound was robust, the music sounds excellent, and the dialogue remains clear throughout. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a few special features that accompany Halloween II, though much like the movie there isn’t a whole lot here to be interested in. Things get rolling with a commentary track courtesy of Rob Zombie. This is one of the best offerings in the special features. Zombie is well spoken and entertaining throughout. He occasionally has some dead air, but he is passionate about his movie and it’s obvious that he is a talented, dedicated filmmaker. He is candid about things like the white horse, problems that occurred on the set, and the connection between the films.

After the commentary, fans of Halloween II can enjoy 23 deleted and alternative scenes. I personally didn’t care much for the movie, so it’s hard to find the value in some of these. Some are better than others, but you would need to really care for the movie to find excitement in this area. A smaller blooper reel is also available that lasts for around five minutes.

Ten minutes of audition footage is available for many of the actors including Jeffrey Daniel Phillips, Mary Birdsong, Octavia Spencer, Richard Brake, Chase Wright Vanek, Chris Hardwick, and Angela Trimbur. There is also a few minutes worth of make-up test footage that is available. A collection of routines entitled Uncle Seymour Coffin’s is also included. Six music videos wraps things up. The videos include Honky Tonk Halloween, Macon County Morgue, Dr. Demon & the Robot Girl, Zombie A Go Go, and Redneck Vixen from Outer Space.

Trailers for a variety of movies are also included in the previews section. The previews all appear to be in high definition. They include District 9, Zombieland, Black Dynamite, Universal Soldier, Blood: The Last Vampire, Moon, The Boondock Saints II, Michael Jackson’s This is It, 2012, and The Stepfather.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Halloween II is a terrible film. While the action looks good because this is Blu-Ray, I still wouldn’t recommend this film, in any form, to any one. If you like the direction the first Halloween remake went in, there is no guarantee you will like this film. It strays from that vision and becomes more absurd than a horror movie should become. If you hated the first remake, you will hate this remake even more. I wouldn’t recommend you even bother renting Halloween II. This is just one of those releases you need to ignore and move on without checking it out.

Overall Rating: 2.21 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Halloween II, Rob Zombie, remake, horror, Blu-Ray, Review, Michael Myers, Sheri Moon Zombie, Scout Taylor-Compton

Movie Info:
Writer: Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith
Director: Gil Junger
Cast: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, Gabrielle Union, Larry Miller
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Touchstone

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: March 31, 1999
DVD Release Date: January 5, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $

It’s hard to believe it has been over ten years since 10 Things I Hate About You was released in theaters. I remember actually going to the theater and seeing this movie. I was 18 years old and while my older brother took my niece and nephew to Cedar Point every year, being in a wheelchair and having no car/ability to drive, I was forced to take them to a movie as our “bonding” time. He got the amusement park. I got movie time, and it was always their decision as to what movie we would see.

I’m only 4 1/2 years older than my niece and 6 1/2 years older than my nephew. While that does not seem to matter much now that we are all in our 20s, it does make a difference to be 18 and hanging out with a 13 and 11 year old. This means I never was particularly happy about the movie choices they picked. I saw Titanic (I admit, it grew on me) with my niece 4 times in the theater when it came out because she kept wanting to go back and see it again, and my nephew often wanted to see stupid comedies.

I fully admit when my niece wanted to see 10 Things I Hate About You, I scoffed at the idea. She was 13, and teen comedies are all the rage when you are a young teen. I confess, I have not been fond of teen-geared flicks since John Hughes left the game. I knew I was going to hate this film and went into the theater ready to throw popcorn at the screen. Alas, the talent and acting of a guy I’d never heard of before, who would go on to make Jack Nicholson’s Joker look like a pansy, saved this movie for me.

I actually liked 10 Things I Hate About You. It was funny. The story was pretty good. The acting was great. Both Joseph Gordon Levitt and Heath Ledger went on to be in some really great movies that are some of my favorite films. I even liked Julia Stiles in this. For an actress around my own age, I respect the work she has done. It wasn’t really a lame teen movie, and I am glad I was able to enjoy this movie with my niece. It makes me look like the great uncle I am if I can appreciate the movies she likes.

Well, here it is ten years later. Sadly, Heath has left all too soon, but his legacy remains in the films he made. 10 Things I Hate About You was his first crossover movie; an introduction to the American audience that came to love and respect his work. Though nobody had any clue how great he’d become after 10 Things I Hate About You, this film showed promise in a great career that ended way too soon.

10 Things I Hate About You Plot
AV geek, Michael Eckman (David Krumholtz) shows new student, Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) around Padua High School. Michael is kind enough to explain to Cameron how the school’s hierarchy of cliques works. Cameron sees popular, Bianca Strattford (Larisa Oleynik) and it is love at first sight, but Michael does not believe the two are a match made in heaven, especially since Bianca is rather pompous and all the other stereotypical things popular girls are. Besides, her father does not let her date. When Cameron finds out Bianca needs a French tutor, he sees a window of opportunity to get to know her.

Bianca’s older sister, Katerina “Kat” (Julia Stiles) is her complete opposite. Kat doesn’t conform for anyone or anything. She’s an opinionated feminist who dresses how she wants and relishes in her social outcast status. Kat receives an acceptance letter to Sarah Lawrence College, something that makes her overprotective, single father, Walter (Larry Miller), very upset. Kat changes the subject by telling her father that Bianca rode home from school with Joey Donner (Andrew Keegan), a sleaze that wants only to bed Bianca. Oblivious to this, Bianca begs her father to change his mind about her dating, but he won’t let her date if Kat won’t date, causing tension between the sisters.

When Cameron finds out about the no dating rule, he and Michael attempt to set Kat up with Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), who is just as big an outcast as Kat is. After the two fail to ask Patrick to take on the mission of wooing Kat, Michael suggests that Joey, who wants in Bianca’s pants, proposition Patrick, not revealing his true intentions in helping Cameron. Joey decides to offer Patrick cash to date Kat, but Kat finds little interest in the prospect of dating a mutual outcast. Patrick realizes he has his hands full, but the more he attempts to win Kat over, the more he realizes he might actually like her.

Storyline/Plot: 3 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
When you consider the fact that 10 Things I Hate About You is a lower budget film, seeing what they have done to it is nothing short of amazing. There are still some issues here, but nothing like you would expect considering the age and budget that the film had to deal with. The 1080p transfer has one main issue and that is overactive sharpness. The coloring is good and the blacks are strong. Backgrounds are natural in appearance and though there are some white washed skintones at times, the coloring is nothing to complain about. The detail is fair, especially for being cleaned up. Like I previously mentioned the biggest problem is the sharp glare that occasionally occurs at random moments.

The audio is available courtesy of a DTS HD-MA 5.1 surround sound track. Nothing here is going to rock your socks, but it’s definitely a step above the previous release that fans might be familiar with. The sad part is that the surround sound does not get a lot of action. The party scenes, for example, do not offer a lot of excitement. Dialogue is clear though and the basic sound is nothing to complain about. It could have been better, though I would have loved for it to be more exciting, if only in the Ledger scenes. French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks are also included. Subtitles are available in all aforementioned languages as well as in Portuguese.

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

Bonus Features:
I have to say, I was expecting an anniversary edition of a Blu-Ray to contain more than just two special features. There is a new commentary track, which is pretty cool and some other new features, but on the whole there really isn’t a whole lot here. It was surprising to find so little. Other than trailers for When in Rome, Surrogates, and Extract there are only two main features.

The audio commentary is a new track for this special edition. There are a number of cast and crew on this commentary including Andrew Keegan, David Krumholtz, Susan May Pratt, Larisa Oleynik, Kristen Smith, and Karen McCullah Lutz. There are a lot of things that are talked about on this track. Seeing Ledger on screen is sad, but like other topics, this too is addressed. Otherwise, it is an entertaining listen with insightful points rattled off throughout the movie.

The only other feature is entitled “10 Things I Love about 10 Things I Hate About You” – This is a huge featurette that lasts for close to 40 minutes. The idea is that it serves as the making of for the film, in a sense. The featurette takes a look back at the production now that it’s been ten years. You will hear from Gil Junger the most and randomly from cast and crew as the time and situation permits. Junger claims that he knew even then that Ledger was going to be a superstar. He also points out that as far as directing goes, this is one of the best times he’s ever had doing his job.

Interviews from the cast when the movie was first released, are included, as are some deleted scenes. However, the quality for these items leaves a lot to be desired. If you’re looking to watch these and are hoping for something that looks new, you won’t be getting it. They look awful in all honesty. Avoiding that issue, this featurette isn’t so bad even if it doesn’t feel like they put too much work into this section of the Blu-ray.

Bonus Features: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
10 Things I Hate About You is one of those movies that you may not think about until a special edition like this one comes out. While the bonus features section pretty much stinks and the Blu-Ray quality for this isn’t worthy of the Blu-Ray name, this movie is worth seeing and owning. I suggest you purchase this in DVD to save yourself a few bucks. 10 Things I Hate About You is a nice addition to nearly any DVD collection.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: BD Review, 10 Things I Hate About You, Special Edition, Comedy, Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, 10th Anniversary, Film, Movie

Movie Info:
Writer: Diablo Cody
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, Sal Cortez, Ryan Levine, Juan Riedinger, Kyle Gallner
Rating: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: September 18, 2009
DVD Release Date: December 29, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.99

I’m just going to get this right out of the way before delving into this review. I thought that Jennifer’s Body was going to absolutely suck. I had extremely low expectations for this film. The people I knew who had seen it in the theater had said it was pretty stupid. Sure, I’m fond of the work I’ve seen of Diablo Cody in the past, but perhaps this was her “Baby’s Day Out” and like the late, great John Hughes, she ran out of good ideas, only to disappear into past Hollywood fame obscurity long before her time was up.

In this mindset, I was disappointed Amanda Seyfried, a young, talented, budding actress, wasted her time on Jennifer’s Body. Still, I thought I’d give the movie a chance for her sake and what a surprise. I actually liked Jennifer’s Body. I didn’t just like it, I thought it was a quirky, fun, dark comedy that had some rather brilliant moments amidst the high school lame-o speak the actors indulge in throughout the film. Cody redeemed herself after my unfounded doubts, and I have newfound appreciation for her warped sense of humor.

Jennifer’s Body is a dark comedy. This means it really is not meant to be scary like a traditional horror flick. As any good comedy should, Jennifer’s Body made me laugh. Some of it was at the ridiculousness of the characters, their speech and the situations they are placed in, but that is the ENTIRE POINT of Jennifer’s Body. It is supposed to be ridiculous. The teenagers use stupid slang, which makes those of us over the age of 21 cringe. That’s the way kids sound to us old folks, so no big deal there.

Megan Fox is given some meaty material she can actually sink her teeth into. Fox admits she’s not used to this kind of acting, and she tried to have fun with it. Well, it seems the girl has a bit of natural talent. Sure, she’s no Robert DeNiro, but he wouldn’t have made a very good Jennifer now would he? Fox was the eye candy in Transformers, but in Jennifer’s Body she has to rely on more than just her svelte figure (though it does play a prominent role in this film, as well) to entertain the audience. I already knew Seyfried could act, so it was no big surprise to see her perform well. Fox and Seyfried had nice chemistry and that is what really helped to make this film work.

Jennifer’s Body isn’t going to appeal to everyone. Some won’t enjoy the comedy in this flick, insisting it should have been a straight horror affair. Others will hate the horror aspect and wish it was strictly a comedy. I like this kind of humor and I especially appreciate a horror film that can make fun of itself and the entire genre at the same time. All in all, whether you will like Jennifer’s Body will depend on whether you like Diablo Cody’s sense of humor already or not.

Jennifer’s Body Plot
It’s quite a surprise that Jennifer (Fox) and Anita “Needy” (Seyfried) are best friends. The two have absolutely nothing in common, but they have been close since they were little kids. Jennifer is a sexy, flag waver in the school’s colorguard/cheer team/band (depending on the school), while Needy appears to be a book loving, not so fashionable, dork. Jennifer is in control of the friendship, dragging Needy off wherever they go, under the guise of friendship.

Jennifer informs Needy they will be going to the local bar where Low Shoulder, an indie rock band, is playing. The lead singer, Nikolai (Adam Brody), looks hot and Jennifer hopes to conquer him. Needy’s boyfriend, Chip (Johnny Simmons), is not fond of her relationship with Jennifer, but he goes along with it because it seems to make her happy.

At the bar, Needy soon realizes Nikolai and his band are sleazy. She thinks they only want to use Jennifer for sex and tries to warn her friend of this. Needy tells Jennifer what the band said about her, but before anything can be done about it, a mysterious fire breaks out in the bar, killing several patrons. Both Needy and Jennifer escape, but Jennifer is in shock and ends up going off with the band, who take her into the woods.

Needy spends most of the night worrying about Jennifer, but when Jennifer finally shows up in her house something has changed. Jennifer is covered in blood, and though starving, she ends up puking up all of the food she eats from Needy’s refrigerator in a black, oozing substance. Unsure what has gone on, Needy is left to clean up the mess and figure out why Jennifer is acting so weird.

When teenage boys in town start showing up dead, this small town already suffering from the bar tragedy, must face the fact that a killer, who is ripping their boys apart, is on the loose. Furthering Needy’s own personal plight is the knowledge that something happened in the woods to Jennifer, and Low Shoulder, the band behind whatever went on, is taking credit for saving all the people who survived the bar incident, making them national heroes and furthering their careers, in the process.

Storyline/Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Jennifer’s Body looks as good as one could hope. The 1080p, AVC MPEG-4 transfer offers an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Overall this is quite an impressive transfer. The skin tones look great, the coloring is vivid and the black levels are strong. You especially notice this with Jennifer because her skin tone and general appearance change greatly whenever she needs to eat. The black sludge and the flying blood also comes through vividly, causing no reason for complaint. The graphics are crisp and clean. Everything is highly detailed without offering too much sharpness. It’s hard to continue talking about the graphics because there really isn’t anything bad to say about them.

Like the video for Jennifer’s Body, the audio leaves nothing to complain about. The dialogue sounds clear and is always easy to hear, but much of the important audio in this film comes from music, sound effects, and background noise. All of that passes with flying colors. The music in the bar and in other scenes offers a highly supported audio track. It is strong without being overpowering. All of the audio aspects blend perfectly, allowing you to hear each one without hearing too much or too little of any of them. The audio becomes stronger or more subtle based on the needs of each scene. Like I said, everything really sounds as perfect as it can sound. Portuguese, Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks have also been included. There are also subtitles in English, Chinese, Thai, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.

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

Bonus Features:
Before beginning with special features you get the chance to watch some trailers. The trailers included are for Gentlemen Broncos, All About Steve, Whip It, and Fame. After you’ve watched the trailers you have the option of choosing the theatrical or extended cut for Jennifer’s Body. The running times show about five additional minutes of film for the extended cut. However, I can’t state how many differences there are because I only watched the extended cut. A digital copy is also included.

Like most movies, Jennifer’s Body offers a commentary track. In fact, there are two here. There is a commentary for each version of the film. The theatrical film’s commentary includes Diablo Cody and Kathryn Kusama. Things are informal for the most part. They mention differences between the two film versions. It’s a very fun, giggle-track of a commentary. It reminds you of a girl talk kind of thing. The second track is just with the director. This is similar to the first track in the fact that the main point of this is just to point out the differences in the two tracks. It’s not really a full commentary in that sense, but it is included and it’s a vocal feature, so we’re going to call it that.

The rest of the special features are in HD so I am going to assume that most, if not all, are exclusive to the Blu-ray. This includes over thirteen minutes of deleted scenes (six in all), a five minute gag reel, and a number of featurettes which are discussed in detail below.

“Jennifer’s Body: The Dead Pool” – Here you have a fourteen minute making of featurette that talks about things like shooting, production, and the indoor pool scene. It’s an interesting feature, especially when they show the various designs that didn’t make the cut.

“Video Diaries” – You get twelve or so minutes of various cast and crew diaries. I wasn’t really into the diaries myself, but some fans might enjoy them. I found them to be a little fluffy for my personal taste.

“Megan Fox is Hot” – I know, shocking title, isn’t it? This is less than a minute in length and it’s just a bunch of shots of Fox at her best. Depending on who you are and what you like, you may or may not like this.

“Megan Fox Peer Pressure PSA” – This is another less than a minute feature. It’s reminiscent of the fake PSA’s on other movies. You will have to watch it to find out the joke.

“Fox Movie Channel Presents: Life After Film School with Diablo Cody” – Here you have a 30 minute featurette. It includes various film school students interviewing Cody, asking for advice for film school graduates. It’s pretty decent overall. Fans of Cody will find it highly entertaining.

Bonus Features: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Jennifer’s Body is a lot better than I thought it would be. Diablo Cody’s story is clever, entertaining and engaging. The acting is actually pretty good. The story is funny, as it should be, for a dark comedy, and the performances by the actors seem to be fun, not forced. In the Blu-Ray, you can expect excellent audio and visual qualities and a host of fun BD exclusive features. While you may want to rent Jennifer’s Body before purchasing it, when you decide it is worth your money, you’ll want to go Blu-Ray. It’s worth the extra money for the quality you’ll receive.

Overall Rating: 4.07 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Blu-Ray Review, Jennifer’s Body, Horror, Dark Comedy, Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Diablo Cody, Film, 20th Century Fox

Movie Info:
Writer: Mike Judge
Director: Mike Judge
Cast: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr., Dustin Milligan, David Koechner, Beth Grant
Rating: R
Studio: Miramax

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: September 4, 2009
DVD Release Date: December 22, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.49

I expected more from the creator of Beavis and Butthead. I grew up watching what Mike Judge had to offer, so coming in with the knowledge that he was the brains behind Extract made me want to see this movie. From the trailer, it looked funny. I’m not a huge comedy lover. I like cartoon-style comedy or cynical comedy more than any other type. So, I was expecting that same sarcastic style of humor Judge is known for through the other work he has done. Not so. While Extract has some so stupid they’re funny moments, on the whole, the movie is an epic fail.

The cast isn’t bad for a comedy. There are likable actors in this film and nary an actor gives a bad performance. Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, and J.K. Simmons have all succeeded, at some point in their career, when doing comedy. However, Extract isn’t exactly their shining moment. Yes, I did laugh in certain parts. Yes, the actors have their moments of funny, but the cohesiveness of these moments does not translate to a particularly funny script. I was expecting laugh out loud, humor along the same vein of Judge’s other stupid but funny works. This was certainly stupid, but it wasn’t near funny enough.

Where I feel Extract fails the most is in the script. The acting, as I said, only suffers because the actor’s do not have anything funny to work with. The direction Judge was going in is clear. The script, the writing, the storytelling if you will sends the movie into some fairly unfunny places. I especially found the ending to be particularly lame. I don’t expect comedies to typically be based in reality because most of them could never ever happen in a lifetime. I do expect them to not sink to beyond moronic levels though and the entire ending (from Suzie cleaning the pool onward) is just to lame=brained for my intelligence to appreciate.

I am finding, through the opinions of others I’ve spoken to who have seen this movie that this is a love it or hate it affair. Some think it is worthy as a Mike Judge creation, while others, like myself wonder what Judge was thinking when he wrote the script. Honestly, Judge should just give us a new Beavis and Butthead movie (and make sure to feature Daria in it), because at least those are characters Mike Judge fans know, love and wouldn’t mind seeing make an appearance in the 21st century.

Extract Plot
Jason Bateman plays a man who founded/run/owns a flavor-extract company. As Joel, he is the head of Reynold’s Extract, a successful business, but despite that, Joel’s life seems empty. His big problem is that he is not having sex with his wife Suzie (Kristen Wiig). In fact, the two haven’t had sex in over a mont hand it has taken its toll on Joel. Joel has also had to deal with his employees and their displeasure with their job. Of course, Joel is too uptight to take the drugs his best friend, Dean (Ben Affleck), who works as a bartender, offers him to try and calm Joel down.

When something goes awry at the Extract factory, one of his employee’s, Step (), ends up losing one of his balls (yes we’re talking about the ones in his pants). Initially, Step has no plans to sue the Extract Company, but that all changes when he’s convinced by con-woman turned new Extract employee, Cindy (Mila Kunis) convinces him otherwise. With Cindy’s advice, Step hires a lawyer, Joe Adler (Gene Simmons), who has an affinity for chasing ambulances.

As if things could not get any weirder, Joel decides to let loose. He goes to the bar with Dean and accidentally ingests ketamine, which makes him agree to hire a male floozy to seduce his wife and have an affair with her. He hires Brad (Milligan) to pretend to be the pool boy and seduce Suzie. Having second thoughts, Joel realizes he’s too late to stop the affair. In his despair, he turns to Cindy, for comfort, not realizing her truly, diabolical intentions.

Storyline/Plot: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
This isn’t a flawless release when it comes to the visual quality. Extract is presented on Blu-Ray in a 1080p, 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The colors are the biggest problem, especially concerning the skin tones. Black levels aren’t as sharp as they should be and color correction is needed throughout much of this movie. The action has occasional instances of blur and things just don’t look as sharp as they should. This transfer was a big disappointment; almost more than the fact that this movie really sucked.

The 5.1 DTS, English soundtrack is okay, but not standout. I want action. I want explosions even in moments with no explosions. That just does not happen here. The bass is kept to a minimum, sound is pushed to the front of the speakers, and I can’t really complain too much about this, because the dialogue for this film is crisp and clear. This audio just lacks a major sense of dynamics, and even if it might not need this, I’m still disappointed.

Visual: 2 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
As far as bonuses go, there isn’t much here. I’ve included what is and brief descriptions of these things where necessary.

“Mike Judge’s Secret Recipe”: This feature lasts a little over ten minutes. It is a Behind the Scenes look at both Extract and Judge. If you like finding out how films came to be, this feature is right up your alley.

A Selection of Extended Scenes found only on the Blu-Ray. These aren’t entertaining all that much and I can see why cuts were made.

One very small Deleted Scene.

Some trailers for When in Rome, Surrogates, and The Boys are Back.

As far as Blu-Rays go, these offerings suck.

Bonus Features: 1 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I was pretty disappointed after watching Extract. I’ve been a fan of Mike Judge since the Beavis and Butthead days so I was expecting something a bit funnier from him. It seems as if critics either seem to love or hate this movie, so my best advice to you is to rent this if you like comedy or are a Mike Judge fan. You will not want to buy it if you do not like it, of course, and you may be like me. Just don’t expect that kind of awesomeness we got from the cult like television shows he has created and you might enjoy the stupid humor in this film. As far as Blu-Ray goes, this release got a pathetic release on Blu-Ray. If you decide you like this, I recommend buying it on DVD instead and saving a few bucks, in the process.

Overall Rating: 2.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Extract, Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, comedy, Mike Judge, Blu-Ray, Review, Movie, Film

Movie Info:
Writers: Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
Directors: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike, John Sumner, Vanessa Haywood, Marian Hooman
Rating: R
Studio: Sony

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: August 14, 2009
DVD Release Date: December 22, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

While I had heard about District 9, I really did not know anything about the movie. What I did know was it was a Sci Fi movie and might involve aliens. That is about as far as my knowledge of this movie got. Despite any clue as to what this movie was about, I also heard it was good. Therefore, I wanted to check it out. I entered this film with a pretty much clean slate of knowledge.

After watching District 9 I must say it was money well spent for Peter Jackson. I am not a huge Jackson fan, but I can appreciate the efforts of a good producer who gives a chance to a budding creator/filmmaker. The story goes that Jackson was going to have Neill Blomkamp direct one of his projects. The project fell through, and Jackson decided to hand over his cash to let Blomkamp create his own movie. What he came up with is District 9.

Blomkamp had originally made his story for District 9 as a short film. This was an idea he’d filmed early in his career, and now, there was a chance to expand upon the idea. The millions of dollars that have been put into District 9 made the film a high tech, visually stimulating production. Of course, the story is what drives this movie and it is both well written and engaging.

Shadowing a world that South Africans knew well, District 9 explores the same kind of themes that were present during the 1980s in the apartheid era. Instead of racial discrimination, the discrimination is inter-species discrimination. Set in a modern world, we as audience members get a glimpse into what the world might be like if aliens showed up here on Earth, and sadly what happens isn’t pretty, though it does make for good storytelling.

District 9 Plot
It is the early 80s in Johannesburg, South Africa. A large UFO is hovering over the city. The beginning of the movie explains through news reports that it is believed the UFO is stuck on Earth. A million extraterrestrials that have arthropod-esque bodies have been stuck upon the Earth without a leader and many of them appear to be ill. Initially, they are welcomed to Earth, but when some partake in criminal activities humans demand that control be taken over the visitors.

Known as the “prawns”, a derogatory name for the aliens, they are stuck living in District 9. District 9 makes the ghetto look nice. It is a government controlled area in the city and is heavily controlled by the presence of police. After the beginning of the movie, it is close to present day. The prawns have been here over 20 years. MNU (Multinational United) is given the task of relocating the residents of District 9 to a new camp, District 10. A private military corporation helps to enforce the relocation. The military operation is overseen by Koobus Venter (David James).

The MNU sends Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) out to offer eviction notices to the prawns, and help coordinate their relocation. The prawns aren’t very happy and often have to be subdued by the military officers that accompany Wikus. As Wikus confiscates illegal items the aliens have and destroys some of the eggs, two aliens, one who has his small son with him, are putting special fluid into a container.

This alien is known as Christopher Johnson. When Wickus raids the shack they are in, he finds the container and some of it explodes onto him. It isn’t long before Wickus is puking his guts out. After returning home to a party thrown by his wife for his job promotion to field op, Wickus gets really sick and is taken to the hospital. His body is beginning to mutate into an alien body, and MNU confiscates him. Wickus is soon able to use alien weapons, something humans cannot do and MNU decides he’s valuable enough to kill and dissect, to study the alien form, before he fully transforms.

Upset and afraid, Wickus manages to escape. He is deemed a fugitive and has no place to go but District 9. There he must face possible capture, alien retribution and harassment from a local, Nigerian gang that sells to the prawns.

When Christopher and Wickus meet up and Christopher realizes what is happening to Wickus, he tells him he can help fix him, but he needs the canister back. It contains fluid that will reactivate the mothership and it took him 20 years to collect it. Wickus confiscated the canister, so they will have to go into MNU territory to retrieve it. With his wife lied to and his world falling apart, Wickus and Christopher form a kinship that transcends the human race and brings them up against a corrupt, unjust system of oppression.

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

Audio/Visual:
I wouldn’t know how to complain about District 9, if I wanted to, which I don’t. The 1080p transfer was realistically gritty and it made the movie that much better. Had this been a shining example of Blu-rays clarity, which in many ways it is, I would have been somewhat let down. District 9 is a movie that needs a little grit to make things shine. Despite it being gritty, the dirt and grime and the decay of the districts all look fabulous. This is probably because you know the purpose for these looks and they have nothing to do with a low budget. Seeing any ghetto done up in sparkling, vivid colors would have just been a disservice to the film. So, you have strong, deep colors that are neutral and dark in nature. The blacks are strong and the detail is amazing. It’s like you’re right there in the middle of the desolate prawn districts. I was in awe of this transfer and I’m sure that most fans will agree with me here.

The main audio is handled by a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. The dialogue is a shining example of Blu-ray sound. Likewise, the sound effects don’t disappoint. You might feel that this audio is not as strong as some of the newer movies out there to compare this with, but I didn’t notice anything to complain about. The differences in audio from the documentary film style to the actual in the moment movie are quite different. In either case, you hear everything you are supposed to (some thing are intentionally lower during those documentary scenes). The score is lovely for the movie and the sound effects can hit hard when there is a call for them to do so. A French DTS HD-MA 5.1 track is also included here. Subtitles are in English, French, and Hindi.

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

Bonus Features:
Before the movie begins you have to choose a human or an alien to get things rolling. I wasn’t sure at the time, but I learned later that the choice you make doesn’t make a difference. Either option leads you to the movie. District 9 includes a fair amount of special features, including the basics like commentary, digital copy of the film, and deleted scenes. The commentary is with the director, Neill Blomkamp. It appears that he did the commentary prior to the release of the movie. He talks a lot about the history of the film and how it was based off of his other works. He mentioned the housing issues in Johannesburg and other parallels that can be found in the movie. There isn’t a lot of blank space here. Blomkamp talks for nearly the entire movie and sounds intelligent the entire time. While I am not a big fan of commentaries, this one is definitely worth a listen.

The deleted scenes for District 9 last for close to 30 minutes. Normally I tell people that there is no point in watching the deleted scenes because they do not add anything to a movie. In this case, you end up with a mixed bag. I honestly wish that some of these would have made it into the final film. There are a few scenes here that did nothing for me. The scenes with various MNU members that were removed don’t make a big impact. However there are quite a few with Wikus that should have been left in. The scene where he lies to a Prawn telling it that he did not abort the Prawn’s baby/egg. There are also some scenes about eating dogs and cat food bribes that definitely should have made the cut. Those were the top three that were missing from the movie. There were some other good ones, but those were the ones to stand out. In any case, these are certainly worth watching.

“The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker’s Log” – You can play this in one piece or in various scenes as you prefer to watch it. Here you get a complete look at all of the various parts of the film. You learn about Halo and how they turned that into District 9. You also hear about ideas for the Prawns, various themes for the film, and more technical aspects of filmmaking, too. One of the most interesting pieces of this featurette deals with crafting the Prawn language.

“Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus” – This is a ten minute look at what it took to transform Wikus from a human into a Prawn. All of the important parts are covered from the falling off fingernails to the addition of Prawn parts. By the end of this it is easy to appreciate the work done by the actor, Copley, and the artists working on this film.

“Innovation: The Acting and Improvisation of District 9” – This gives viewers a chance to check out the work that went into the dialogue. Actually much of this was the brilliance of Copley. A majority of his script (all of the MNU training/documentary video) was unscripted. He would show up for work and make up his own lines on the spot. This really sheds some light on the awkwardness of the film in parts where some people might not have understood what was going on or why things were the way they were.

“Concept and Design: Creating the World of District 9” – This will be interesting for the techies watching the film. You get a chance to learn about the illustrations for the various weapons and a lot of the Prawn build and different parts. This deals with all of the non-computer illustrations. The next feature is all about the CGI and computer effects.

“Alien Generation: The Visual Effects of District 9” – This feature is a little bit shorter than the last, but watching how the computer effects were created makes watching it worthwhile. It is amazing to see what they did with this film on such a limited budget. They talk about the various camera styles, lighting, what it took to design various characters, and what it took to actually make the Prawn parts. It’s a pretty cool featurette!

“Joburg From Above: Satellite and Schematics of the World of District 9” – This Interactive Map is by far the coolest feature in the whole set. I haven’t had much of a complaint about anything, but this one takes the cake for sure! With the help of this map you get to take a tour of District 9. You can go around the shantytown, visit the mothership, or check out the headquarters of the MNU. If you hop on the mothership you get a chance to read all about the drop ship. You can also see scenes and check out Christopher’s shack. The MNU has weapons that they use and plenty of footage of the transformation of Wikus.

“Game Demo” – You need a PS3 for this, but if you have one you can put your disc into the PS3 and sample a pretty decent demo of God of War 3 that is well worth checking out.

“MovieIQ” – The best way to think of this is similar to a trivia track. You get a chance to learn who is in a scene, trivia style moments, stuff about the music, and general film facts. The best part here is that you have full ability to control the feature.

“Cinechat” – This gives you a chance to watch the film while talking/chatting to other people that are also watching the film. It blocks a good part of your screen and makes little sense to me, but hey, if you like that sort of thing, go for it!

The only other thing here is a set of previews for the following movies: Moon, This is it, 2012, Zombieland, and Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Everything about the District 9 Blu-Ray seems to be perfect. The movie is amazing and should be seen by anyone over the age of 15. Filled with bonuses and a Blu-Ray quality that does Peter Jackson’s mammoth budget proud, there is no other way to see this movie other than Blu-Ray. The District 9 Blu-Ray comes highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 4.93 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Blu-Ray, Review, District 9, Prawn, Wikus, Sci Fi, South Africa, Alien, Mothership, segregation

Movie Info:
Writer: Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley
Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Cast: Bill Nighy, Sam Rockwell, Will Arnett, Jon Favreau, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Kelli Garner, Penélope Cruz, Tyler Patrick Jones, Steve Buscemi, Piper Mackenzie Harris
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Video

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: July 24, 2009
DVD Release Date: December 15, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $

I knew, as soon as I saw the commercials for G-Force that it was going to be stupid. You see, Disney has a few different styles of animation. First, there is Pixar, with movies that are always excellent and instantly become animated classics. Then there are the cool animated features that Disney actually took quite a bit of time to make, like The Princess and the Frog. Then there are these CGI flicks that seem to be made just for the amusement of today’s children with very little substance to them. G-Force is one of those films.

Yes, I guess talking guinea pigs are kind of cute. Making them superheroes seems a little ridiculous and though the cast appears to be decent, not even Jon Favreau can save a movie about a bunch of crazy rodents. I was bored to tears while watching this movie…but, I admit it. The kids loved this mindless, crazy little film. Have no doubts, your little ones will love it, but sadly I don’t think that Walt Disney had this drivel in mind when he was building his animated empire.

The thing I always liked about Disney was how family oriented their movies were. A mom could enjoy a Disney flick just as much as her kids. Heck, Dad and the Grandparents often were able to get in on the action, and enjoyed the film, as well. In the last decade or so, Disney has moved away from strictly family-friendly affairs and made movies that appeal more to kids, but make Mom and Dad want to slit their wrists if they have to watch these movies more than once. This makes me sad.

I grew up with Disney. I grew up watching Disney with my much older brother and my mom. It wasn’t a big deal that I was 5 and my brother was 14. He’d still watch it because he knew what a good movie was. Disney always had good movies back then. I don’t feel that way anymore. For example, my teenage son can only tolerate some of the Disney flicks that his five year old cousin wants to watch, but G-Force isn’t one of them. He was as bored as we were. Seriously, Jerry Bruckheimer. What were you thinking?

G-Force Plot
The FBI has trained an elite league of secret agents, all of which are animals. These animals have highly advanced weaponry and tools that allow them to perform their job well. One of the special forces is a group mainly made up of guinea pigs, that use a special earpiece, allowing them to speak to humans. The force is joined by a group of cockroaches who help them on their missions.

In the beginning of the film, we meet the team members. The team leader is Darwin (Sam Rockwell). Each of his crew has a specific specialty/function. The martial arts expert is Juarez (Penelope Cruz) and the weapons/transport guinea pig is Blaster (Tracy Morgan). Cyber technology is handled by Speckles (Nicolas Cage), and reconnaissance by a fly named Mooch (Dee Bradley Baker). Overseeing the team is Ben (Zach Galifinakis).

Ben decides to send them into Leonard Saber’s home. Saber is the owner of Saberling Technology and is an electronics mogul. He is also being watched by the FBI, and has been under their close supervision for several years. What they find is that Saber is up to no good and they have less than two days until his evil plan is set in motion. Unfortunately, Ben wasn’t supposed to send them on the mission and his boss is appalled that they went in without his permission or approval. This leads him to shut down the unit and order them all into a life of miserableness as animal experiment victims.

Luckily, they are all able to escape, intent on surviving and stopping Saber on their own. Along the way they meet additional animals including the piggy guinea pig, Hurley (Jon Favreau), a hamster, Bucky (Steve Buscemi), and three mice. With their new friends on their side, the team is sure they can stop Saber’s evil plan and get G-Force reinstated.

Storyline/Plot: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
G-Force is a kid’s movie so you can expect some lively graphics all around. Disney normally does not disappoint, making sure to offer excellent special effects and a flashy picture that kids will love. The black levels are strong, the colors are delightful, and the picture is crisp. Everything on those little animals stands out whether you like them or not. It’s hard to deny the good job that was done by the studio on this one. The biggest problem here, if anything, is over-saturation. Still, it is a little complaint in the scheme of things. Overall, there is little to complain about here and kids will definitely be happy with the result.

The audio is presented in a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. The audio is exactly what you would expect from a children’s movie. It’s not amazing audio, but it gets the job done for a kid’s movie and it’s passable in a general sense. Kids won’t have anything to complain about and I doubt most adults will like it enough to pick out the follies that are present (or not) in the audio. The dialogue is crisp and clean and the surround sound is active with background sounds and special effects noises of all kinds. In addition to English audio there are Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks and subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There is a fair amount of content available in the special features. The extras are split down the middle as far as high definition content goes. Some of it is standard and then there are a few special features that will fit in exclusively on Blu-ray. None of these really stood out as being amazing, in my own mind. Kids might like some of these though and some adults may find a few of these more interesting than the movie.

“Cine-Explore with Darwin, Blaster & Their Creator” – Why this movie has a picture-in-picture I am not quite sure. I highly doubt that most kids are going to appreciate, much less care that this is even on here. Yeatman shows up on the PiP to talk about the wonder that is his work and how he does it with a straight face, we will never know. Otherwise, you have the inner workings of G-force and a few of the guinea pigs coming around to toss out lines and annoy you a little more than they already did.

“G-Farce Bloopers and Flubs” – These are a small set of outtakes from the film. The actors are all in the sound booth, of course. This has some funny parts, but nothing incredibly laughable.

“Blaster’s Boot Camp” – Blaster (Morgan) is on the set to give kids the low down on how they can become agents for G-Force and the tools of the trade.

“G-Force Mastermind” – This is all about the inspiration behind the movie. Yeatman’s son, also named Hoyt Yeatman was the inspiration for this movie. Once Bruckheimer heard about it, he loved it and the rest is history. Amazing, right?

“Bruckheimer Animated” – The name kind of explains it all. This gives you a look at the CGI work done by Bruckheimer. It’s rather backpatting or else the purpose is to reaffirm that Bruckheimer has done CGI and this wasn’t his first attempt.

“Access Granted” – This gives you a trip into the animation lab. You get a tour of the department. It’s pretty general, but it’s obvious that they want to show you that a huge amount of work went into creating G-Force.

Things wrap up with six deleted scenes and a selection of music videos. The videos include Flo Rida’s “Jump,” “Go G-Force,” and Steve Rushton’s “Ready to Rock.”

Bonus Features: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The greatest part of G-Force is the excellent visual quality and the decent audio track. I only wish that Bruckheimer and crew would have spent more time developing a story that wasn’t stupid. If you have little kids, you may want to get this, because this is only good if you want them to pass a little time and lose a few brain cells in the process. Otherwise, I recommend you pass this one up. It isn’t even worth the rent…not even in Blu-Ray.

Overall Rating: 2.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: G-Force, Guinea Pig, Disney, Bruckheimer, Kids, Movie, CGI, Animation, Blu-ray Review, Movie Review