The Texas Chain Saw Massacre celebrates its 40th Anniversary which for the Blu-ray compiles a fine selection of bonus material including two new commentary tracks and a slew of featurettes ported over from previous releases..
Silent Night, Deadly Night certainly has its moments especially the creepy scene between young Billy and his grandfather telling the boy Santa Claus was going to kill him, but some decent moments and kills, although it doesn’t quite stack up with other horror films from that era.
The biographical drama Che! is kind of laughable with some shoddy performances, though not so much from Omar Sharif as Che but instead someone felt it was a good idea casting someone like Jack Palance as Fidel Castro.
This Ghostbusters two-film set is not perfect but it’s pretty close with a decent selection of bonus material, though the MST3K-style commentary is still only a DVD exclusive but the audio and video transfers for both films are great. Given the low SRP, this is a set worth picking up if only to have it in one package.
“The Originals”: The Complete First Season might not be the most refreshing new series or anything but as far as spin-offs go, especially to a series like “The Vampire Diaries” which is (to me) on the decline in quality, it’s a successful launch. The ensemble cast, even outside the holdovers, are all great and the storylines are just interesting enough to keep one’s attention throughout the season.
“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” is certainly the strangest incarnation for the Caped Crusader but is a fun callback to the old 60s and 70s comic book and allows the normally glum character to interact with an eclectic bunch of other DC and Warner properties. It’s also a series that both kids and adults can enjoy if you know what you’re getting into.
The Battery actually is a well made indie horror-drama with more emphasize on drama with only a few zombies thrown in, but instead focuses on the two main characters and their day-to-day interactions.
Delivery: The Beast Within is just the latest in the well overdone found footage subgenre. Now, it’s not terrible but it’s also not exactly a thrilling or horrific film either with more dull moments than anything suspenseful. The DVD released by Cinedigm does have some OK bonus features and the audio/video transfers aren’t bad.
“The Vampire Diaries”: The Complete Fifth Season quality-wise isn’t great but still has some entertaining moments even (or especially) when the dialogue is either corny or laughable. Still, this season never really lost my attention as the actors, for the most, are at least fun to watch, though the absence of Klaus and Rebekah is noticeable.
They Came Together might not quite come together, no pun intended (really) like the filmmakers wanted, and not close to Wet Hot American Summer, but there is a certain charm in its spoofing of the romantic comedy genre mainly due to the comedic timing of Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler.
Despite its age, going on nine seasons, “Supernatural” is still a well made series with a good balance of fantasy, drama and dark comedy and storylines that is keeping the series fresh.
“Bitten”: The Complete First Season isn’t a horrible nor is it unwatchable, mainly because of star Laura Vandervoort, but I’ve seen this story countless times on better produced series like “Supernatural,” “The Vampire Diaries,” and “True Blood”… Well, two out of the three anyway.
Any Given Sunday is an engaging movie that many sports, especially NFL, will enjoy and not only holds up today, but kind of predicts a few trends that have permeated college and pro football.
Night Moves is not a movie for everybody. It’s a slow-burn crime-drama with some fine performances, particularly by Jesse Eisenberg yet you also have to be patient for the plot to play out with the first 20-minutes or so is all set-ups with the final 80-minutes used for the aftermath of the characters’ actions.
“Now and Again” was lauded by critics and audiences alike but never quite caught in the ratings in no small part due to a network unsure where to place it, thus it was a one-and-done series that finally got to see the light of day with a relatively impressive DVD release. The audio and video transfers are more than serviceable, though it does show its age, while the bonus material is well done as this could’ve easily been a cut-and-paste, featureless, release.