Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996) / Hellraiser: Inferno (2000) / Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002) / Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 2.5/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2/5

One, Two, Skip a Few; Screw the Seventh Film in the Series!

I've never really subjected myself to the straight to video Hellraiser films because it seemed like there was always a new one coming out in the early 2000's. Sure, Bloodline was a theatrical film and the final nail in the theatrical coffin for Pinhead and the Cenobites. Upon seeing this release by Echo Bridge hitting the stores, I searched out and found this release for $10 and figured; "Eh, why not?"

This Blu-ray release contains the fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth film in the Hellraiser series. One question that has been on my mind is why they didn't either include the third or seventh film in the Hellraiser series since Echo Bridge has the rights to these films from the Filmyard/Miramax library. Again, another thing that puzzles me is that why didn't Lionsgate take interest in getting the rights to Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth? Surely, if Echo Bridge was going to put together an four-in-one Blu-ray, surely they would take full advantage and the interest of Pinhead fans and putting Hell On Earth on the disc to make this disc really worth the $10. And it also makes no sense that they skipped the seventh film, Hellraiser: Deader, for the eighth entry; Hellraiser: Hellworld.

Hellraiser: Bloodline is an origin story dealing with the creation of Lament Configuration and the span of three generations of the family who created the puzzle. The first generation spans around the time frame of 1600 to 1800's. And we essentially see who Pinhead was and another one of his Cenobites origins. The second generation spans in modern time with descent of the Lament Configuration's creator. We see some neat Cenobites come into play which will finally be in the final act which is the future and Pinhead in space.

Ultimately, the film is probably my least favorite in this collection. Always putting a super-natural/villain into space has always been a downfall; like "Jason X". With the same actor portraying his generations takes it a bit on the cheesy side of the film. If we were going to have an actor to do this portrayal, they should have gotten a much better actor for the role. Film scores a 2.5/5.

Bloodline is presented in an okay 1080p transfer. I want to say that this probably another compressed down transfer that's different from the Single and Double feature release containing this film. There's print damage that pops up here and there and the video feels pretty weak. Considering that this film was shot on film, we couldn't possibly get a remaster with this? Video scores a 2.5/5. The audio presentation on this disc is most likely the same on others since they didn't change the audio on From Dusk Till Dawn's different releases. The audio is fair and I feel it deserves a 3/5.

Hellraiser: Inferno. To sum this film, if this weren't a Hellraiser film, it would be a lot better. I'm sure most fans of Pinhead know that the lead Cenobite is barely in this film. A child has gone missing and a crooked detective puts himself on the case only to get more than he bargained for as a person known as "The Engineer" is the one who has taken the child.

I give this film a 3/5 and if this wasn't a Hellraiser film, I'd give it a higher recommendation. In a Hellraiser film, we want Pinhead, Pinhead, and more Pinhead. With Pinhead barely in the film, it feels like you're being ripped off.

Presented in a rough and inconsistent 1080i transfer and again, probably an HDTV master for the film, which is what all these Echo Bridge releases seem like. Upon comparing screenshots of the Multi-Feature and the Double Feature, this version is a compressed down version of that transfer. Due to the compression, I have to give this a dismal 1.5/5. And again, I am sure the audio presentation is the same from the Double Feature. I give the audio a 2.5/5.

Hellraiser: Hellseeker. The sixth entry of the series stars Ashley Laurence from the original Hellraiser trilogy. In this entry, her husband (Dean Winters, of the "All State" Commercials) is believes that his wife didn't drown in the car crash they were in. When he discovers the Lament Configuration, his world turns upside down as he reaches his way closer to the truth.

I feel this one deserves a 3/5. At times it feels slow, but at the same time, I also feel that this is a somewhat recycled version of Hellraiser: Inferno. It seems to have that same theme going for it with trying to uncover the truth. But Pinhead is in it a lot more than he was in the fifth entry, but at the same time, I wish he was in it more than he was.

Presented in it's OAR of 1.85:1, Hellraiser: Hellseeker debuts with a somewhat all right transfer. It doesn't seem as bad as Inferno, but I think it's probably a tad better than the Hellworld transfer. I feel that Hellseeker deserves a 3/5. Audio again, decent, 2.5/5.

Hellraiser: Hellworld, the final chapter until Harvey Weinstein produced the newest latest Hellraiser that was is Doug Bradley-less. Bradley's final outing as Pinhead is somewhat a satisfying farewell to the actor's departing of the series. In this entry, Hellraiser goes online with a World of Warcraft-esque game where gamers take their love a little far when a player is found dead. Upon going to the funeral, the player's friends are invited to a "Hellworld Party" where players can meet and have their own "Pleasures". One by one, each of them meet their end by Pinhead and his Cenobites.

Sure, what I just wrote above sounds interesting, but once we hit the twist at the end; the film crashes and burns. I came real close to just shutting the film off and just writing it off and leaving the last fifteen minutes alone. However, those final moments, did bring it back up for me and I was pleasantly surprised how they could rebound from that horrible plot twist. Movie scores a 3/5.

This 1080p transfer is inconsistent like the Hellraiser: Inferno transfer and I am sure this is more or less something that the DP had in mind with shooting the film. Shots switch back and forth from bright to freakin' dark. And this is a strong contrast between the shots. Also, the soft bright shots also become to overwhelming. Video scores a 2/5. And again, the audio is average, 2.5/5.

Movies: 2.5 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 2.875 = 3/5.
Video: 2.5 + 1.5 + 3 + 2 = 2.25 = 2.5/5.
Audio: 3 + 2.5 + 2.5 + 2.5 = 2.625 = 2.5/5
Extra: 0/5
Overall: 3 + 2.5 + 2.5 = 8/4 = 2/5

With this release scoring a 2/5, for the price, I can recommend it. The debut of Hellseeker is pretty good; in comparison to the release of Full Tilt Boogie in that Multi-Feature. For $10, pick it up. It probably won't be worth it to track down the other releases with these titles in it.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) / From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999) / From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000) / Full Tilt Boogie (1997)

Movie: 4/5
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2.5/5

From Dusk Till Dawn - Round 3.

Upon scanning the files on my laptop, the encodes on From Dusk Till Dawn 1 & 2 are the same encodes as the double feature release. I will be skipping straight to The Hangman's Daughter and Full Tilt Boogie. Scores are still of all four films together. To see my opinions on the double feature, please read my review over there.

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter; the third and supposed last entry in the series until these past few months when Harvey Weinstein stated that he wanted to work with Miramax's new owners and make sequels to past projects he's produced at Miramax when it was once owned by Disney. I think this is an open and closed book with these three films and the documentary. As a step up from the second film, I still felt somewhat disappointed by the film.

The film is based around the character Esmeralda who is played by Ara Celi in this film since it's obvious that they couldn't get Selma Hayek back for the role. We learn that she was once a girl who was "The Hangman's Daughter". This is a very basic cash in sequel to milk the series dry. Sure, we got Michael Parks and Danny Trejo back, but the material feels very recycled. The acting is average to poor in a lot of scenes; the actor who plays Johnny Madrid could have done better. Orlando Jones' performance was campy and he's one of my favorite comedic actors, so it's always great to see him whenever he does a movie. Movie barely scores a 3 out of 5 in my book.

One big problem with this encode is that Echo Bridge cut the film off during the end credits which effectively removes a scene past the credits with Michael Parks sitting in a bar. It's such a shame that they would mess that up. I feel that this also effects my opinion towards this disc. The movie is presented in 1080p and it's OAR, but it's still a mess. A proper restoration should have been done on the film as some shots have a complete difference in color tone. A lot of the film has a brownish tone to the film, but even some shots of the sky in the opening minutes of the film has this purplish hue in the blue which shows that this film's master print has not been handled properly.

Another big problem I have with this film's presentation is the computerized effects in which they were rendered and it hurts the visual presentation for the film. In a shot on the professional review for the individual release, there's a shot of Temuera Morrison fighting a snake and the picture has the lowest resolution I believe I have ever seen; even possibly lower than VCD resolution. Maybe it's because this was a straight to video flick and they possibly never thought about high definition at the time this film was released in the year 2000. These low resolution shots mainly happen towards the end half hour of the film. With these problems aside, the transfer feels soft and just a real average transfer; but with these problems factored in, video scores a 2/5.

The audio presentation on the disc is DTS-HD MA 5.1, even though it seems like Echo Bridge is stepping it up with audio the audio on their releases, this track could have been better. The first film's audio presentation was pretty decent whereas with this, we have the audio from a straight to video flick where I don't think the care was really given to it in the first place. Audio scores an average 2.5/5.

And for the final film in this set, we have "Full Tilt Boogie". A documentary catching behind the scenes of Robert Rodriguez's film, "From Dusk Till Dawn". And that's the gist of it. We see that they had problems during production of the film and that we see how some of the people work behind the cameras. The documentary is pretty solid in my opinion, but there's some sluggishness to it in a spot or two, mainly when we have some women talking about on set crushes and stuff like that. I could care less about it. Movie scores a 4.5/5.

The video presentation is surprising to say the least. It looks as if this was remastered in the process over the years as we have a very nice image from the 16mm and VHS sourced material. Obviously the film footage of "From Dusk Till Dawn" is the newly remastered footage thrown in. One thing that I question is the OAR. I think it would be safe to assume that this was presented open matted on VHS and DVD throughout the years by Disney as this new HD master gives a cropped 16:9 version of the shot footage. Usually when the OAR is really effected, I would really lower my score; but I think this is the best the documentary has ever looked, 3.5/5.

The audio presentation is a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. Considering this a documentary, I think the audio works well for this. I really don't have any real complaints towards it. I know I might be giving it an advantage by giving it 5/5.

Let's total up:
Movies: 5 + 2.5 + 3 + 4.5 = 15/4 = 3.75 = 4/5
Video: 2.5 + 1.5 + 2 + 3.5 = 9.5/4 = 2.375 = 2.5/5
Audio: 3.5 + 2.5 + 2.5 + 5 = 13.5/4 = 3.375 = 3.5/5
Extas: 0x4 = 0/5
Over all: 4 + 2.5 + 3.5 = 10/4 = 2.5/5

This disc is average with it's 2.5/5 rating. Considering that you can pick this up currently at $8 to $10, I can say that I can recommend it to you even though "From Dusk Till Dawn" is the same compressed encode from the double feature. Also, this is the only Blu-ray release Echo Bridge has given us for "Full Tilt Boogie". A 2.5/5 doesn't seem that bad really. Maybe the score could have been higher if it would have been just the first film and the documentary.

Dracula 2000 (2000) / Dracula II: Ascension (2003) / Dracula III: Legacy (2005) / They (2002)

Movie: 2.5/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 2.5/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2/5

If Interested in Dracula 2000, Seek Out the Canadian Release.

First Film: Dracula 2000, Wes Craven's produced Dracula flick taking place in London to New Orleans. Van Helsing is protecting Dracula's tomb in which gets stolen and soon the king of the undead will rise. Dracula is awaken and hungry and feeds off the grave robbers turning them into vampires. As Dracula makes his way to the U.S, he starts feeding off on beautiful women and searching for a woman who unknowingly is related to Dracula.

The movie scores a four out of five. I found the film to enjoyable considering how old the film is. The video presentation by Echo Bridge will come off as either average or poor to A/V enthusiasts. The film is in 1080i and is presented in 1.78:1 from it's 2.35:1 presentation. I was so disappointed to see the image fill the screen after the opening credits which were presented in 2.35:1. Video scores a 2.5/5. Audio is just average, audio scores a 2.5/5.

Second Film: Dracula II: Ascension, in a continuation of Dracula 2000, a charred corpse appears in a morgue which appears to be a vampire. At the same this discovery is made, a mean vampire slayin' priest shows up to try to bless the corpse. The med students who take the corpse bathe it in blood and Dracula is born again but not looking anything like Gerard Butler from the first film. They contain Dracula in a burned out factory where they try to uncover the secret of his eternal life.

Movie scores a three out of five. It's all right but it seems to pale in comparison of Dracula 2000. Jason Scott Lee is pretty awesome as the vampire slayin' priest. The video scores a 3/5 and Echo Bridge has provided us with a 1.78:1 1080p transfer of the film. I cannot comment if this is cropped or matted from the 2.35:1 transfer. It looks a lot better than the 1080i transfer of Dracula 2000. The audio is again average and it scores a 2.5/5.

Third Film: Dracula III: Legacy, the priest and lone med student are tracking down Dracula in the Eastern Europe. Dracula again changes his form and looks nothing like the vampire from the previous installment and is now portrayed by Rutger Hauer. Soon the priest and Dracula duke it out to save the fate of mankind.

The film scores a three out of five. I feel a little let down that we go from Dracula 2000 to Dracula II: Ascension and then finally to Dracula III: Legacy; I mean, what was one of the key points of Dracula 2000? That Dracula's blood line kept on and then after that, they just ignored it and focused on these med school kids. The video again was presented in 1.78:1 1080p by Echo Bridge. Not sure if it's cropped or open matted because the last time I saw this movie was when it came out in 2005 on DVD; video gets a 2.5/5. I have a problem with the audio presented on this disc; the dialogue sounds echo-y and the music is way too loud. Audio scores a 1/5.

Fourth Film: They. A college med student gets a message from a childhood friend who's been having trouble sleeping. It turns out that there's something evil and sinister hiding in the dark. These creatures are coming to take them to hell or whatever.

As you can tell by my last sentence, I couldn't care about this film at all. I found it to be downright horrible. The ending was one of the biggest pieces of BS I have ever seen. It was like; "Why don't they do that from the get-go?" Movie scores a .5/5. The video scores a 3.5/5 as Echo Bridge gives us a 2.35:1, OAR, 1080p transfer. The video has print damage that pops up here and there throughout the film; it's not that bad but it could have been a better transfer. The audio is just average again, like every other film on this disc.

Overall:
Film: 4 + 3 + 3 + .5 = 10.5/4 = 2.625 = 2.5/5
Video: 2.5 + 3 + 2.5 + 3.5 = 11.5/4 = 2.875 = 3/5.
Audio: 2.5/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2.5 + 3 + 2.5 = 8/4 = 2/5

Even though it gets a two out of five, I can recommend this if you need the Dracula sequels in HD. I cannot stress it enough that if you're just buying this for Dracula 2000, skip it and get the Canadian release by Alliance because it's presented in it's original 2.35:1 and has an amazing transfer. They, which sucked in my opinion, was the only film they presented in it's original aspect ratio. Don't pay more than $10 for this release.

The Alphabet Killer (2008)

Movie: 1/5
Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2/5

Not Even Titties Can Save This One.

As much as I love police/detective films, this movie blew. This movie was a complete waste of time. I found myself bored and bored some more to the point where I was like; "How much longer is left?" Titties couldn't even save this movie. It's as bad as "Transmorphers: Fall of Man". The story is based around the Alphabet Killer who struck in the 1970's. Killer was never found. So, take a wild guess about a movie about a serial killer who was never caught ends? You want to watch a better detective drama, check out "Crimson Rivers".

Video looks average. That opening logo by New Films International was poor looking. I think Anchor Bay could have done a better job on the transfer, but then again, this movie blows. We have only a decent 5.1 DD track which sounds average. And zero extra features or a menu or a subtitle or anything like that.

Avoid. Overall, I give this a 2/5. Waste of time, talent, and film!

Transmorphers: Fall of Man (2009)

Movie: 0.5/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 2.5/5
Extras: 0.5/5
Overall: 1.5/5

Makes the First Film Look Like a Masterpiece. I Am Serious.

Wow, where to begin. The first film is infamously bad because of how it was a cash in of Michael Bay's "Transformers". This time around, we have a prequel to the Leigh Scott film and they shouldn't have even bothered. This one is up there in comparison to The Asylum's "Countdown: Armageddon" and I was not too thrilled with that one. Seriously, some of this was so laugh out loud bad it was sad. You got a woman running around like a prostitute from the 1970's with this bright freakin' pink get up and hooker boots. Shots that are stock footage from previous Asylum films like "War of the Worlds 2" and some of this footage was re-used in the 2011 Mockbuster "Battle of Los Angeles".

I usually get a kick out of watching films from The Asylum because some of them are so bad it's good. This one is not that kind of Asylum flick that I like. I really dug "I Am Omega" and "Transmorphers" to name a few. I honestly cannot recommend this one at all to anyone. Avoid it like that plague because it makes the first film look like a masterpiece. I am serious. .5/5.

The video is the same because The Asylum shoots all their stuff with the same average looking camera that surely has gone through hell and back. There was a shot of Bruce Boxleitner that had some severe pixelating and interlacing problems which was noticeable for that two seconds. Video scores a 3/5.

Audio is 5.1 and 2.0. Echo Bridge gave us better audio presentations when they were releasing Asylum titles back in 2010. Audio is just average, 2.5/5. Extra features are lame in this release; a making of, bloopers, and two deleted scenes. Whoopty-doo, they aren't worth the time to watch. Extras score a dismal .5/5.

Overall, this is a bad Asylum title. If you want to watch a decent one; check out "Haunting of Winchester House" or "I Am Omega" or even "Transmorphers". Just avoid this one because it's not worth the time. Overall, I give "Transmorphers: Fall of Man" a 1.5/5.

A Serbian Film (2010)

Movie: 4/5
Video: 5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 0.5/5
Overall: 4/5

A *Censored* Film.

NOTE: Movie score is from how I originally saw the uncut version.
I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS RELEASE DUE TO HARSH REMOVAL OF SEX AND VIOLENCE.

A Serbian Film, a highly controversial film that mixes hard sex and violence to give off a political message. However, in the German version, most sex and violence is removed. The censored German release of the film clocks in at 1:30:02 whereas the uncut version clocks in at about one hour forty-four minutes. The story is that Milos is a pornstar who has settled down but is given an offer by an old co-star who tells him that something big is happening in the porn industry in Serbia. However, horror ensues as Milos is dragged deep into something he cannot simply walk away from.

The film is heavily cut in the final act where is about one minute in length in the German release whereas in the screener, it was several minutes long. This really causes disruption in the score as it jumps shot to shot due to censorship. One cut that I am pleased with in this censored version is the "Newborn" scene. We do not see it but you do hear Vukmir screaming the line. Now, if this wasn't in the film at all, even in the original cut, I wouldn't mind at all as I do feel this is the central nerve for people being disgusted with the film. To the people that have seen the film, with all the sex and violence removed, you can get a good idea of what is missing.

The video presentation is superb. One of the best transfers I have ever seen as this was shot on the same equipment that such films like "District 9" was shot on. I award the video a 5/5. The audio, which is mislabeled on the box art is Serbian and German (Dub) in DTS-HD MA 5.1 and accompanied with removable German subtitles. The audio is like the video, SUPERB, 5/5. Only extra on the release is a trailer dubbed in German which is 576i.

Overall, the release gets a 4/5, but I cannot recommend this release due to the harsh censorship of the film. The disc is Region Free with the only problematic feature being the theatrical trailer. But, don't waste your time with it if you look to see a more complete cut like the US or Swedish or UK releases.

Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978)

Movie: 3.5/5
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 2.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

A Great Release From MEDIA BLASTERS.

"Devil Dog: Hound of Hell" is a television movie from the late 70's. The film is about a family who adopts a dog after the death of their previous dog. After a year of owning the beloved German Shepard, things start to spiral downward as the father starts to realize that the dog is not of this world. The film is pretty entertaining as far as television movies go, but there's always room for improvement on television movies due to the budget. I haven't really been that big on TV movies but I was quite surprised with this film; I give Devil Dog a 3.5/5.

The video is in pretty amazing shape for an almost 35 year old film. Now, there's one thing I want to address about this film; the scenes where we have our "Devil Dog" were shot on film, but edited in VHS due to the special effects. The scenes with the "Devil Dog" are about a minute in length and it's not that bad but you can tell the PQ drops in these scenes. Now, my issues with the film and why I give it a 4/5, there's print damage here and there that is present, especially in the opening credits and various scenes throughout, but it's not that bad. Now, towards the end 10 minutes when we are taken to the plant where the father works, the low lit interior shots look faded and could have been possibly corrected by doing some contrasting. Overall this is a pretty amazing transfer.

There are two audio tracks present; DTS-HD MA 2.0 English and Italian (Dub). When selecting the Italian dub in the main menu, before the film starts it gives you a message stating that the audio was taken from a television broadcast and that drop outs will occur. And I think both of the audio tracks sound great on this release. 4/5.

Now on to the extras; I have to say that this movie contains the most pointless extras I have ever seen for a film. There's several hours of material, but it's the most boring material I have ever watched. We have a 73 min interview which is divided up between the producer Jerry Zeitman; Kim Richards; and Ike Eisenmann. Jerry Zeitman talks for about 20 minutes about the film and then in the last five minutes or so, talks about other projects. Kim Richards takes up over 30 minutes and barely talks about the film. SHE TALKS AND TALKS AND TALKS AND TALKS SOME MORE ABOUT EVERYTHING! And the only person who actually talks about the film is Ike Eisenmann and he only got like 12 minutes to talk time. And then as soon as the 73 minutes are up, it cuts to an extra 23 minutes of Kim Richards just going on and on. I honestly wanted to hit my head against the wall because of what this woman talks about. Her career is obviously past the point of no return as she's only done two movies last decade; Black Snake Moan and Race to Witch Mountain.

Then, we have an audio interview with the director, which was done some point before his passing. He's really seemed to show no respect for the film and said that it was made for the paychecks. He said he would have rather had his film "Killer Bees" released over this. I don't think this interview should be even present on this disc. Then there's a scrolling video which lists the director's credits. A photo gallery on Martine Beswick who was only in the opening of the film. There's a trailer for the film. And then finally some trailers for Media Blasters releases such as; "Hansel & Gretel"; "Shooting April"; and "The Man Who Collected Food". Extras score a dismal 2.5/5.

Overall, these extras are a doozy; I felt this hurt my overall views on this release. I mean, why put two hours of pointless ramblings from two child actors and a deceased director who seemed to disown the film? I found the addition of an Italian dubbing to be an odd choice to add to this release. But, I am very pleased with the PQ, it is pretty amazing and I hope that Media Blasters treats Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla Vs Megalon with this much respect PQ wise. Movie is entertaining, especially if you love old school films. I spent $13 total on this release, I recommend it. 3.5/5 for this release.

Meet Bill (2007)

Movie: 3.5/5
Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

Made Me Want to Eat Candy Bars.

I decided to import this title since I saw it was under $9 and it's got Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Alba. Aaron Eckhart certainly plays a different type of role in this film. This performance isn't like "The Dark Knight" or "Battle: LA". In this film he's a fat, depressed, married man whose wife cheats on him with a local news reporter. Through the disastrous situation, he is stuck with a kid through a work program who tries to help him see the bigger picture. The film is all right, certainly not the greatest movie I have seen, but I think it has potential for a re-watch here and there. Movie scores a 3.5/5.

The video presentation is 1080/50i, despite being region all, means that it will not work unless your TV or player/PS3 can handle 50hrz. It has the 25fps speed up which more or less effects the audio, which will be addressed in a bit. Considering that the movie takes up about 15GB of space on the disc, it looks great, however it does not look perfect. There's specs on the film that pop up here and there and there seems to be compression problems which don't look that bad unless you have your eyes glued to the screen. Video gets a 3.5/5.

With our audio, we have a bit of a problem. Due to the 25 frame speed up, the voices sound a little high. Given that this is the first time that I have seen the film, it didn't really bother me as much. In the opening, when Aaron Eckhart speaks, it did bother me because it was high pitch. Other than that, both English and German DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound good. 3.5/5.

We have quite a few extras presented on the disc, however, not really that great. We have deleted scenes that are about 15 minutes in length, obviously in PAL and 4:3 which gives up a window boxing with black bars on all sides. Then we have a photo gallery. A German language filmography for Aaron Eckhart, Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, and Jessica Alba. Then finally we have three trailers on the disc presented in both English and German; "Meet Bill", "I Could Never Be Your Woman", and "Miss Potter". Extras get a 3.5/5.

And with every rating getting a 3.5/5, means that are overall score is 3.5/5. If you have the capabilities of handling 50hrz 1080i in the US, then I can recommend this release. It's one of the cheapest Blu-rays off of Grooves Inc right now, coming in at under $9.

Tucker and Dale Vs Evil (2010)

Movie: 4/5
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

"Goin' Campin'?"

When I saw that this film was getting released on Blu-ray in Germany two months before the U.S. theatrical release, I had to jump on the chance of getting this. And I am now reviewing the Region B locked Universum Film Blu-ray of "Tucker & Dale Vs Evil". The film centers around the title characters played by Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine respectively. They are heading out to their vacation cabin that is in dire need of repairing. While en route, they bump into these college kids on vacation. Things take a turn for the worst when the college kids go skinny dipping in a lake while two good ol' boys save one of the kids from drowning. Soon, the college kids hilariously die off one by one as they think the two are going to kill their own.

I am giving the film a 4/5; in the U.S. trailer, you do see quite a few of the deaths. That kinda brought it down a bit, but the humor is pretty funny. I had a smile on my face pretty much throughout the film. I think Tudyk and Labine are great as the bumbling rednecks. Plus, another thing that bothers me about comedies lately is the run time, this film clocks in at 85 minutes not counting the credits. I recommend the film, in the horror aspects the whole cabin in the woods reminds me of like Evil Dead, Cabin Fever, and Friday the 13th Part 2.

The film is presented in 1080p and the picture has a brownish tone to it, I want to say it's an artistic choice by the director since this takes place in the woods, but I think that might bring it down for some videophiles. Especially when there's this fire and the color of the fire isn't that strong, color wise. It's pretty sharp and detailed. The film has German subs which can be removed and when you select the English audio, you have English subtitles for the German text that appears on screen in the opening which was like "3 Days Earlier" or something like that. 4/5 for the video.

Audio presented on the disc is English and German DTS-HD MA 5.1, both tracks sound pretty good. Audio has never been my strong suit but I really felt like both tracks sounded good. 4/5. We have a few extras on the disc; there's a BD-Live function which I cannot access since I don't have my player connected. German dubbed trailers for Season of the Witch, Black Dynamite, Chatroom, The Informers, Splice, and The Joneses. An English and German trailer for the feature; same trailer with just different audio. And finally an 11 minute Making Of that is in English with removable German subs. Extras score a 4/5.

This release of Tucker and Dale Vs Evil scores a 4 across the board. If you have a Region B or All player, I would recommend checking it out. Especially since the US Blu-ray probably won't be until Christmas time 2011. I paid $27 for it and I am happy with this release of the film. 4/5.

Babylon A.D. (2008)

Movie: 3.5/5
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5

"We're All Going to Die in New York!"

In the Summer of 2008, after I had gotten to the Big Island of Hawaii for college and on my off time, I would go to movies and kill time since I was all alone on an Hawaiian island I had no experience in. The film came out in the end of August and I had seen that it was directed by one of my favorite current French directors Mathieu Kassovitz who directed the 2000 film "Crimson Rivers". Upon watching the film, I was confused, not about the plot but whether or not that I liked the film or just downright loathed it. On one hand, I felt it was trying to be the next great sci-fi movie; on the other hand, the dialog is atrocious. You hear someone just blatantly say; "We're all going to die in New York!"

When hearing something like that, it makes me ask the question; "Really?" I feel that it is poor writing to finish up a scene. She couldn't have said something around the lines of; "I feel something bad might happen to us in New York". I know that's not really a great line, but still, it's something better. I have two ideas on what happened, especially with dialog like this, they either were just trying to have fun with it and screwing around or that they were on a fast paced shoot and they had no time for screw ups.

I do feel that the action scenes were enjoyable, especially towards the end when it becomes an all out war in NY. After viewing the "International Cut" which is what version is on this Blu-ray, I felt that the international cut added more intensity to that fight scene. With the international cut being the version I am reviewing, I give the movie a 3.5/5. If this was the U.S. Cut, jeez, this movie might have gotten a 2/5.

The video is almost flawless, but there is a problem with it at one or two scenes towards the end of the film. At 1hr 19min into the film, there's specs and dirt and the film starts to wobble as if the negative was in distress. The film has a nice layer of grain and very rich in color and saturation. I find this Blu-ray to be almost 100% reference quality. The film has switchable/removable French and Dutch subtitles. And finally, all the credits in the film are in French. Video scores a 4.5/5.

The two audio tracks on the disc are amazing. The English and French DTS-HD MA 5.1 tracks are sweet. Studio Canal did a great job with this release. Audio gets a 5/5. And there is a nice amount of extras including an interactive version of the film which shows behind the scenes. There's an English language French trailer. Storyboard comparisons. And various other bonus features. However, the extras could be a little overwhelming to watch, extras get a 4/5.

Overall, Studio Canal has made an excellent release with Babylon A.D. I managed to score my copy off of a Blu-ray.com member who sold me the disc from the steelbook release for $5. Considering this was a few months after it's US release and that I have Region Free capabilities, this disc is Region B locked, I am glad I got this release. Studio Canal's Babylon A.D. scores a 4.5/5.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) / From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)

Movie: 4/5
Video: 2/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2.5/5

From Dusk Till Dawn Has a Different Encode.

Ok, let me begin by stating that I have compared both the individual release of From Dusk Till Dawn and the double feature containing the first film. The individual release has a video encode of 19.63GB whereas the first film on the double feature is compressed down to 14.70GB in size.

Lets begin:

From Dusk Till Dawn:

From Dusk Till Dawn is a film almost everyone is familiar with, George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino are the Gecko Brothers who are on the run from the law and kidnap a family and head to Mexico to meet some gangster friends at a bar known as the "Titty Twister". Once they enter the bar, all hell breaks loose as they discover that everyone is a vampire and must fight to stay alive. The film is a classic 90's horror film. Movie gets a 5/5.

The video does have some compression, but it is watchable. My biggest question is why didn't Echo Bridge just release From Dusk Till Dawn 2 and 3 as the double feature instead of 1 and 2. It's the same color wise and still has that annoying discoloration on the right hand side of the screen. Since it's compressed, my original 3.5/5 score on the individual release goes down to a 2.5/5 on this release. The audio is also the same English DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio from the individual release, thus the score is still 3.5/5.

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money:

From Dusk Till Dawn 2 is a cash in straight to video sequel of the 1996 horror classic. The only returning actor in this film is Danny Trejo who appears in the film for about five minutes and then just vanishes. The story is that an escaped convict and his group of friends are planning a bank heist in Mexico. Once the convict makes his way into Mexico, he has car trouble and finds that a bat has gotten under his hood. He shoots the bat and makes his way to the "Titty Twister" and finds Razor working the bar. Razor offers him a ride and then takes the convict out to his car to find a man shot up and bloodied, uh-oh, it's a VAMPIRE. Then the convict is bit and makes his way back to his friends and slowly turns them all one by one.

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money is nowhere as good as the original, but I do find Robert Patrick's performance as the anti-hero entertaining. The cameos in the film were also entertaining as we see Bruce Campbell in the opening and Danny Trejo for a few minutes. The film scores a 2.5/5. The acting is all over the place and the story is just a lame attempt to be like the first film but instead of going to a bar, they go to a bank.

The video, oh my God, the video. From Dusk Till Dawn 2 makes it's way to Blu-ray with a dismal 8.21GB video presentation. The transfer is DVD sized. But, I will say that it's HD and not an upscale. There's definition whenever there is close up shots and there's a nice level of grain, but it's just a dull image. 1.5/5 for the video.

The audio is an average English DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. The audio scores a 2.5/5.

To break it down:
Movie: 5+2.5 = 7.5/2 = 3.75 which I will round to 4/5.
Video: 2.5+1.5=4/2 = 2/5
Audio: 3.5+2.5 = 6/2 =3/5
Extras: 0
Overall: 4+2+3 = 9/4 = 2.25 which I will round to 2.5/5.

If you do want to buy the From Dusk Till Dawn films, I suggest that you buy the individual From Dusk Till Dawn release or import the Canadian. Then get the double feature for Texas Blood Money. Then, finally, purchase The Hangman's Daughter. Why didn't Echo Bridge just release Texas Blood Money and The Hangman's Daughter together? It would have been a lot easier!

Supercop / Twin Dragons (1992)

Movie: 5/5
Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 3/5

If Interested in the US Supercop Blu-ray, Buy the Double Feature!

Before I start reviewing, I am giving everyone a heads up on both the individual release of Supercop and the
double feature of Supercop and Twin Dragons. I popped both the individual release of Supercop and the double feature on my Blu-ray drive and surprisingly, the disc title on Supercop reads as "Jackie Chan Double" which is also what the double feature reads as for the disc title in my comp. Inspecting the size of the movies, Supercop is the same size on both discs, 11.26GB. The only difference between the two discs is that the individual has an interview with Michelle Yeoh which isn't present on the double feature. If you are wanting to buy the US Blu-ray of Supercop, get the double feature which can be found for the same price as the individual release, $8 + Tax.

To the review, I am basically writing the scores from the individual Supercop release. To find my thoughts on it, visit the database page for the US release of Supercop.

Movie: 5/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5

Twin Dragons:

Twin Dragons is the story of twins, both played by Jackie Chan, who were separated at birth. Years pass and one has become a well known pianist and the other has become a thug on the streets of Hong Kong. When the pianist comes to Hong Kong to perform, he comes face to face with his long lost twin. The craziness begins as everyone thinks they are the opposite and the thug is left to perform while the pianist is left trying to break a mob boss from prison. Twin Dragons is the typical zany 90's Chan film. It's entertaining watching Jackie play dual roles and seeing him show off his impressive stunts. The film scores a 5/5.

Before I begin discussing the video transfer, the last time I had seen the film was at a local drive in theater in
1999. I never saw Twin Dragons on VHS or DVD, so I do not know how the Blu-ray transfer compares to the previous home video releases by Disney. The film is presented in it's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which is a big plus for this title. What hurts the film is that it's plagued with scratches and dirt and also presented in 1080i whereas Supercop is 1080p. It is an HD image, but it's just not clean. It has a nice level of grain and sharpness, and I know I am cutting Twin Dragons slack, but the video gets a 4/5 considering it might be a while before a possible proper HK release comes along.

Onto the audio, like with Supercop, the disc only contains English (dub) DTS-HD MA 2.0. I give the audio a 3/5. What I feel is a big plus is that Jackie Chan did dub his characters voices in this film. If it wasn't Jackie's voice, this score might have gone lower.

Overall:

Movie: 5+5 = 10/2 = 5/5
Video: 3+4 = 7/2 = 3.5/5
Audio: 3+3 = 6/2 = 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 5+3.5+3 = 11.5/4 = 2.875 which will be rounded up to 3/5.

Considering that this double feature is currently going for $8 + Tax at Best Buy, this would be the copy to get over the individual releases. It's a shame that Supercop is cropped while Twin Dragons is presented OAR. I would like to see more Jackie Chan titles come out on the Blu-ray format sooner or later. If you are like me, these will tide you over while you wait.

The Cell (2000)

Movie: 5/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 3/5

One of the Most Conflicting Transfers I've Ever Seen!

The only way I've been getting my Canadian Blu-rays is through a grocery-type store called Meijer. They have these Alliance Blu-rays that pop up for $10 and every once in a while I'll look through them in hopes of finding something that's not out here in the US on the Blu-ray format. Well, I finally found a copy of "The Cell". The 2000 film starring Jennifer Lopez and a pre-comedic Vince Vaughn in this sci-fi thriller about going into the mind of a killer. The film, at the time, was pretty unique in terms of visuals; but as CGI has improved over the years, more and more craziness arrives such as Robert Rodriguez' "Sin City" or Kazuaki Kiriya's "Casshern" and "Goemon". I give the feature a 5/5 due to how creative Tarsem is as a director and the story he was able to put on the screen and this is also probably the only good film Jennifer Lopez has in her filmography.

The video is a real problematic transfer. In most scenes, it looks great and a real upgrade from the New Line Cinema DVD from 2000 when the film came out. However, especially in the opening, there's lots of specs and dirt over the image. Also at one point these weird and crazy lines show up on the scene while they about to go into the killer's mind. But after the first twenty minutes or so, the transfer is pretty much smooth sailing. THIS FILM NEEDS TO BE REMASTERED!!! 3/5 for the video.

This Blu-ray contains three audio tracks like most of Alliance's exclusive releases; English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, and French 5.1 Dolby Digital. The disc starts on default with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, which you'll have to switch over to the English 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio. I listened to the film with the DTS-HD MA audio and I was quite pleased with the track. I've checked through and felt that the two Dolby Digital tracks were on the flat side. Audio gets a 4/5.

Almost every Alliance exclusive has no extras, including this one. Overall, if you want to upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray, I'd recommend it if you can get it for $10. So far, as of July 2011, this is the only release of the film and I do not see Warner Bros releasing this title any time soon. If WB's master is just as bad as the Alliance master, they need to remaster it without question. That's probably why it has not been released here in the U.S. However, as I do state all the cons about this release, it still scores a 3/5 which isn't that much of a disaster.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Movie: 5/5
Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 3.5/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 3/5

A Great 90's Film Gets a Decent Release.

"From Dusk Till Dawn" has been one of my favorite films for a long time. I am finally happy to own the Blu-ray. I paid $8 + tax for it at Best Buy. Everyone knows what the film is about, so let's start breaking down the quality of this release by Echo Bridge.

Now, onto the video; it's great but not 5/5. The print they have used is in rough shape with a discoloration on the right hand of the screen. This discoloration is about 1/5 of the screen with it standing out more or less towards the end of the film. My guess is that this master was struck straight from the negative since the old Disney DVD release never looked like this. If Miramax's new owners cared to remaster this, I think this would have been a hands down 5/5, but it's not. The video gets a 3.5/5. Another complaint is that the skin tones look way too orangish. I don't know if this was how Robert Rodriguez intended it to look, but for viewing sake, it does kinda bother me, but not too much.

The audio contained on this release is English DTS-HD MA 5.1. Upon listening to the film with headphones plugged into my sound system, I find the audio to be a bit weak. Some spots, it's great like when Clooney is hitting the bell to get the hotel room, but when the chandelier falls on Selma Hayek's character, it doesn't sound that booming. I give the audio a 3.5/5. No extra content is present, 0/5.

I feel that people are being too harsh on this release given that it's an Echo Bridge title. Given the circumstances that Disney wasn't doing squat with this film before selling off Miramax makes me happy that someone stepped up to the plate and released it ASAP. Now, do I think Lionsgate would have done better if they had gotten the film? Probably. Overall, this gets a 3/5, it could have been better. It really could have been an amazing catalog release, but this is one of the better Blu-rays by Echo Bridge.

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)

Movie: 4/5
Video: 3.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5

A Great Release From Echo Bridge. Worth the $9.

I picked this up from Best Buy the other day and was happy to finally own this title on Blu-ray. The film is a parody of numerous "Hood" type films like "Friday", "Boyz N the Hood", etc. The main film of parody in question is "Boyz N the Hood". I think Shawn and Marlon Wayans give great performances and the film is an enjoyable comedy all around. The film scores a 4/5 in my book.

The video is from a dated source and is also a 1080i presentation. There's specs and print damage here and there and at times it feels a little flat. Considering the film is fifteen years old, it looks great; 3.5/5. I award the audio presentation a 4/5 as Echo Bridge has given us a nice English DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. For extras, we have a deleted scene and two behind the scenes segments as well as a music video for the film. The extras aren't that long in length, but they are at least worth a watch; extra's get a 3.5/5.

Overall, this is one of Echo Bridge's best Miramax Blu-ray releases to date; it's miles above "The Crow: City of Angels" and "Supercop" in terms of visual, audio, and extras. It is worth the $8 + tax that I spent at Best Buy. I highly recommend this title if you love comedies. I give this Blu-ray a 4/5.

2012: Doomsday (2008) / Countdown: Armageddon (2009) / Mega Fault (2009)

Movie: 1/5
Video: 2/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 1.5/5

A Laughly Horrible Triple Feature From The Asylum.

*Reposting due to miscalculation of Overall Score*

This triple feature by The Asylum, distributed by Echo Bridge, contains three films on two BD25 discs with the first disc containing 2012: Doomsday and Countdown: Armageddon with the second disc containing the third and final film Mega Fault.

2012: Doomsday
Movie: 1/5
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 3/5

The Asylum goes religious! The created the sub-studio Faith Films to cater to the religious themed films, hence we have the film about the biblical rapture mixed with the Mayan culture in this horrible "so bad, it's good" film. This film feels like it's about four years too late for The Asylum to cash in on Roland Emmerich's "The Day After Tomorrow". The film takes place in Mexico where a young woman helps a village and in LA where a paramedic has a spiritual awareness. After a man dies in the street, the paramedic's mother goes on a religious rant about the final days. Then all of the sudden people start vanishing due to the rapture. It gets confusing and hilarious at the same time by the acting. People can't deliver lines to save their lives in this disaster-piece. 1/5.

The video is really average. Presented in 1.78:1, there's a good amount of grain but at times it looks like there's been DNR applied to scenes. It's really an odd transfer. The video scores a 2.5/5. The only audio track is an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track. It sounds ok but at times comes across a little weak. The audio scores 3/5.

Countdown: Armageddon aka Countdown: Jerusalem
Movie: .5/5
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 3/5

Another one of The Asylum's Faith Films productions. This movie drove me to tears. This movie is so boring it's not even funny. The movie is another biblical rapture mumbojumbo where a woman's daughter has vanished or "raptured" in LA. She is then looking for her husband who she believes kidnapped their daughter and has taken her to Israel. Then once in Israel, all hell breaks loose with local politics and the country becomes a war zone. The woman is racing against time to find her daughter. This movie has one of the worst endings that I have ever seen. It tries to be artistic but you know what happened it and it's pointless that they've tacked on that ending. It's sloppy.

The video presentation is another average to poor presentation like "2012: Doomsday". Presented in 1.78:1, the video scores a 2.5/5. The audio is only an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track, scores a 3/5.

Megafault
Movie: 2/5
Video: 1.5/5
Audio: 3/5

One of Brittany Murphy's last features was "Megafault", in this film you can tell she has lost a lot of weight and it's sad to see her go. The film is ok, it kept me more interested than the other two films in the set. In it, a giant earthquake triggers a global catastrophe. Best movie in the set, but not saying much.

The video is really poor. 1.5/5 because some scenes look okay and then others just look downright horrible. Especially in the opening of the film and it's just like, there's big aliases around Brittany. The audio is good, again like the other two Dolby Digital 2.0 - 3/5.

Overall:
Movie: 1+.5+2 = 3.5/3 = 1.25 which I'll round down to 1/5.
Video: 2.5+2.5+1.5 = 6.5/3 = 2.17 which I'll round to 2/5.
Audio: 3+3+3= 9/3 = 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 1+2+3+0= 6/4 = 1.5/5.

The Day the Earth Stopped / War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave (2008)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2.5/5

A "C. Thomas Howell" Double Feature.

The Asylum gave C. Thomas Howell (The Hitcher) full reign for a while at directing and starring in a few movies. The double feature on this disc contains "War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave" and "The Day the Earth Stopped", both directed and starring Howell. In "WotW2:TNW", the aliens return for a final fight and C. Thomas Howell's character is forced to take the aliens head on when his son abducted by the aliens. Howell's character and an ex-soldier played Christopher Reid of "House Party" fame, find themselves in an abandoned city trying to figure out how to stop the aliens. In "TDTES", Howell's character is a soldier who is forced to endure a woman from another world when she tells them that the world will end unless he can prove that humanity has a purpose.

"War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave"
Movie: 3/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5

The movie was entertaining and I fell it is better than the original film that The Asylum made in 2005. It looks and feels like it has a smaller budget compared to the first film in 2005. One of my biggest problems is the "actress" who pops up in almost all of The Asylum films, Kim Little. She plays a scientist who is supposedly "southern". Her accent is atrocious on every level. It is cringe worthy every time she speaks. And the thing is, she breaks the accents on several occasions and they used these takes as opposed to doing another take. I guess The Asylum wanted to cheese it up on purpose. I think Howell and Reid carried film pretty well, and if you've seen the film, you can tell that time hasn't been pleasant to Reid. Also, to anyone who noticed, the house that Howell's character lives in is also the same house that was used in "I Am Omega"; I give the 3/5.

The video presentation is pretty good overall, there's grain present and some digital altering in post-production that kills the grain levels. It seems that The Asylum does this all the time because I've noticed this on all of the films that they've done that have gotten Blu-ray releases, even the German "Transmorphers" release. Video gets a 3/5.

The only audio track on the disc is an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track. It is average at best, in some spots it sounds weak, but in other spots, it sounds good. The added in ADR really stands out in several scenes which bothers me a bit. The audio scores 3/5.

"The Day the Earth Stopped"
Movie: 2.5/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5

"The Day the Earth Stopped" is lesser of both films on this release. The movie drags in a lot of scenes and is also laughable in some spots for how bad the film is. I think this also the first time that The Asylum threw in nudity in the film from the lead actress who plays "Sky". Also, for an alien, she sure has a nice outline of a bikini; didn't anyone on the production team think that they should have covered that up with make up? The movie scores a 2.5/5.

The video, is like all the other titles I've seen from The Asylum; there will be a nice level of grain and then some digital effect will kill the grain. It's just like all the other video PQ from all the other movies. It gets a 3/5. The audio, again, English Dolby Digital 2.0. It too scores a 3/5.

Overall:
Movie: 3+2.5 = 5.5/10 = 2.75 which I'll round to a 3/5.
Video: 3+3 = 6/10 = 3/5
Audio: 3+3 = 6/10 = 3/5
Extras: 0+0 = 0/5
Overall: 3+3+3+0 = 9/4 = 2.25 which I'll round to 2.5/5.

Haunting of Winchester House (2009) / I Am Omega (2007)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2.5/5

A Decent Double Feature.

I knew what I was getting myself into with "I Am Omega". I owned the Thai Region 3 DVD of the film and decided to upgrade it to the glorious Blu-ray format. However, I didn't know what I was getting myself into with "The Haunting of Winchester House", I only knew that it was a cash in on "The Haunting in Connecticut". I was fairly pleased with it, but it was far too predictable. Let us break down each film individually:

"The Haunting of Winchester House"
Movie: 3/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5

The movie starts off with a family being paid to watch the Winchester Mansion for a few months (a la "The Shining"). Once they move into the house, strange things start to occur and their daughter goes missing. Soon, vengeful spirits make their presence known and the family now fight to their souls and to find their daughter. The movie is entertaining, I wasn't bored to death with it like I was with The Asylum's "Countdown: Armageddon". It was really predictable on how it would end. I could see it from a mile away. It's gets a sold 3/5.

The video presentation is really good considering that the film only takes up almost 10 GB of space on the disc. There's a nice amount of grain present on the video. However, some scenes look over saturated, either too much lighting or done in post production in some of the daylight scenes. 3/5 for the video. The audio is just a tad bit above average for a mere Dolby Digital 2.0 track. The audio gets a 3/5.

"I Am Omega"
Movie: 3/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5

The Asylum's cash in on "I Am Legend". I feel "I Am Omega" is more interesting, mainly because of the star of the film is; Mark Decascos of "Le Pacte Des Loups" and the television series "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven". Decascos is the supposed last man on Earth after a plague has turned everyone into zombies. However one night, he receives a video call from a woman in the city he's trying to blow up. After he gets the call, two men from a colony show up and force him to track down the girl to save humanity, or so it seems. The movie could be better, but for a fairly low budget, it's pretty good. 3/5.

The video starts off rough, again, with the lighting. I think this time it's post-production adding of contrast and brightness. After the first five minutes, when we first see Mark on screen, the video has a nice level of grain present pretty much throughout the film. It's not the greatest video presentation, but it does well; 3/5. The audio, again is a Dolby Digital 2.0 track, 3/5.

Overall:
Movie: 3+3 = 6/10 = 3/5
Video: 3+3 = 6/10 = 3/5
Audio: 3+3 = 6/10 = 3/5
Overall: 3+3+3 = 9/4 = 2.25 = I'll round up to a 2.5/5.

Supercop (1992)

Movie: 5/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 1/5
Overall: 3/5

Supercop...

Supercop was one of my favorite Jackie Chan films growing up in the mid-90's. I remember seeing it for the first time at the now closed Kam Drive In Theater in Hawaii in 1996. And this was the second Jackie Chan film I had seen at the time, the first being Rumble in the Bronx. In Supercop, Jackie Chan's character goes undercover and breaks a conman out of prison and ends up getting caught up international drug trafficking and other various crimes. I give the film a 5/5 because it's one of the first Jackie Chan films I've seen.

The video is problematic, it is cropped from 2.39 to 1.78. That alone hurts the score, but I find the transfer very vibrant and detailed. There's a level of grain that's present and it's overall satisfying despite being cropped from scope to matted widescreen. The video gets a 3/5.

The only audio option is the English dub in DTS-HD MA 2.0. I give it a 3/5 but I find it very disappointing that the original Chinese audio is not present on the disc what-so-ever. That's a bummer to me. The only extra feature on the disc is an interview with Michelle Yeoh who is incorrectly listed as Michelle Khan. The extra gets a 1/5.

The overall is a 12/4 = 3/5. I would only recommend this release if you can get it for about $8. I am planning on picking up the Kam & Ronson releases of the Police Story trilogy to complete my collection. If you want the film in OAR and with the original Chinese audio with English subs, pick up the Hong Kong release of the film.

Another Stakeout (1993)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 4/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 3/5

The First of Many Touchstone/Mill Creek Releases...

Another Stakeout is one of the many licensed out Touchstone releases that Disney handed over to Mill Creek to distribute. Considering the age of the films in question, they have received a very low, affordable price tag of $5. Another Stakeout, while not as great as the first film, it does have some entertainment value to it. I am left scratching my head as to why Mill Creek decided to release the second film and not the first right off the bat; maybe they didn't get the distribution rights from Disney? Anyway, back to the film, I give it a 3/5. It's got it moments, but not as great as the first outing with just Estevez and Dreyfuss.

The video is very nice for a movie that's pushing towards twenty. However, it seems like this is a dated master. But, we're not talking plagued with problems or anything like that. From a distance, it's not that bad at all really. The video presentation is the best one out of the four Touchstone/Mill Creek titles I currently own which popped up at Target about a month and a half ago. The video get's a cool 4/5.

The sound is very nice for a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. It's incorrectly stated on the cover that it's a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. That does sound kinda scary for the only audio option, but thankfully it was wrongfully stated. The audio sounds great for a DTS-HD MA track, but I don't think it meets its full potential in the end. I feel that the audio deserves a 4/5.

There are sadly no bonus materials at all on the disc; 0/4. And that gives us 2.75/5 which I feel comes to 3/5. If there was any bonus material at all, it would help somewhat. It's pretty easy to find for $5 and I'd recommend it for that price.

The Crow: City of Angels (1996)

Movie: 4/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2.5/5

The Crow: City of Angels.

The Crow: City of Angels is the first in three sequels to the Brandon Lee epic from 1994. Well, the storyline is somewhat similar to the original; guy with girlfriend, or in our case with the sequel it's a child, dies and one year later; his soul is brought back from the dead to exact revenge on the druggies who caused their demise. I find the first two films in the series to be enjoyable. Sure, the sequel is very flawed, but enjoyable.

Now, let's get started on the video presentation. The source is from a very outdated master of the film; probably ten years old or at the most fifteen years old. Dirt and debris and scratches pop up constantly, but I think the video is decent yet a little below average. At most it's a 2.5 to 3 and I think to be fair, it deserves a 3/5.

The audio is a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track which sounds ok, but I've heard better. It too scores a 3/5. And there's zero extras what-so-ever. And this gives us an overall 2.5/5 for this release. It's a shame that there's no extras, but I am sure Miramax's new owners and Echo Bridge are out to make a quick buck on these titles and to be honest, I do intend on picking up several.

Goemon (2009)

Movie: 5/5
Video: 5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

"What a Sight!"

I am a big fan of Kazuaki Kiriya's first feature, "Casshern". Five years after "Casshern", his follow up "Goemon" was released. "Goemon" tells a fictional story of Ishikawa Goemon who is essentially a Japanese Robin Hood. He stole from the emperor and gave to the poor. In the film, Goemon is out for revenge in his supposed final days. It is an all out balls to the wall action fest. And Kazuaki delivers with his same stylized visions that he brought to the table with "Casshern". "Goemon", like "Casshern", is shot on green screen backdrops where the breathtaking scenery is added in post.

What I love about "Goemon" is that Kazuaki gives us these crazy action sequences that out do all of Zack Snyder's works. It's got more action than "300" or "Sucker Punch". The action seriously doesn't let up until the last minute of the film. It is that crazy. The movie gets a 5/5.

I give the video a 5/5, but I have one complaint, you can tell that this was shot on HD and not film like "Casshern". It kinda has that sped up look to it in some scenes, but it's not that bad, as compared to a movie like "Date Night". The colors, oh my God the colors. It's detailed and it's a visual feast for the eyes with all the colorful sceneries that Kazuaki has given us.

I watched the film in Japanese first and the 6.1 track is amazing. The English 5.1 audio sounds almost the same, but the dubbing brings it's tone down a notch. Audio is a freakin' beast along with the video. 5/5. The extra's are a "Making Of" which show some in depth comparisons between the final product and the "Animated Storyboards" that were compiled before filming. There's also some trailers for Goemon as well as coming attractions. I fell that this deserves a 5/5 too because we see how Kazuaki's brings the work to life.

This is a beautiful release and I feel it is DEMO QUALITY. 5/5 for me. The film looks and sounds amazing. I picked this up for $19 and I am happy to say that Goemon, much like my imported German Blu-ray of Casshern will get lots of replays on my end.

Mortuary (2005) / Salem Witch Trials (2002) / Salvage (2006)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 2/5
Overall: 4/5

Echo Bridge the Best of the Worst.

Let's break down all three movies that are listed here.

Mortuary:

Movie: 3/5. I found this to be an entertaining little low budget horror film. However, the ending brings it down. And I mean at the last possible minute of the film before the credits kick in, it was going pretty good and then it's like; "WHY?"
Video: 3/5. The PQ is not the best, but not the worst as far as I can tell. When we see the Echo Bridge Entertainment logo on the film, I was a little worried it looked like an SD upscale until we see the establishing shot of the little girl in the backseat. I was relieved.
Sound: 5/5. The PCM audio is pretty good. Why Echo Bridge had to throw in all those extra audio tracks in beyond me. The Uncompressed PCM is great.
Extras: 4/5. There's an hour long documentary on the film and it's great to see Tobe Hooper at work. There's also a trailer in the bonus and both of these are SD upscales. And last but not least, audio commentary.

Salem Witch Trials:

Movie: 2.5/5. VERY LONG. This TV movie is about three and a half hours long and for it's time length, it's no Lord of the Rings. The Salem Witch Trials sounds great when you hear the idea of a film based on the witch trials, but this movie is nowhere as great as it seems in theory.
Video: 2.5/5. For a movie that's as longer than Lord of the Rings, it's a shame it's compressed down to a BD25 disc. The compression is visible in some scenes, but you won't notice the majority of it unless you're right in front of the TV.
Audio: 3.5/5. For having a Dolby Digital and PCM, it's pretty weak even with the PCM. When a majority of the scenes are in the church and the preacher is shouting, I'd expect more from it. It feels hushed.
Extras: 0/5. Nothing.

Salvage:
Movie: 3/5. Salvage is an interesting and a very short horror film. The movie clocks in at 79 minutes long. The twist is somewhat interesting but I feel there's potential that wasn't met, at least completely. It does keep you intrigued most of the time, but it will drag in some instances.
Video: 2.5/5. I feel that this presentation is somewhat soft and lacking real definition. I wouldn't say that is a 480 upscale, but maybe a 720 upscale to 1080. It just doesn't look like it's a real 1080 presentation. But, it's not as bad as something like The Howling Trilogy. It is better than the video presentation on Salem Witch Trials.
Audio: 5/5. There's a PCM and Dolby Digital audio track and the PCM sounds great. Probably the best audio presentation out of this triple feature.
Extras: 2.5/5. A trailer and a commentary.

Total:
Movie: 3 + 2.5 + 3 = 8.5/3 = 2.83. I'll round up to a 3.
Video: 3 + 2.5 + 2.5 = 8/3 = 2.67. I'll round down to a 2.5.
Audio: 5 + 3.5 + 5 = 13.5/3 = 4.5.
Extras: 4 + 2.5 = 6.5/3 = 2.17. Round down to 2.
Overall: 3 + 2.5 + 4.5 + 2 = 12 / 3 = 4.

Highlander 2 (1991)

Movie: 3.5/5
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 5/5
Overall: 4/5

What Has Horrible Video Yet Still Manages to Score a 4/5 Overall?

The answer is Highlander 2!

I'm addressing the video quality because after I saw it on the shelf at work and the sale price of $7.99 was getting to me. I managed to score a $5 a gift card with some groceries I had purchased. I put that gift card to use by paying for Highlander 2 that way and paid $3 for it after that. I got home and popped it in while I cooked dinner and watched the opening menu and was amazed how great the scenes looked at the menu screen. The movie plays and several minutes in, I notice that the shots cut back and forth from high to low quality and it jumbles. Some of the shots even look like they're missing frames and somewhat stuttering a bit like a PAL speed up. I seriously cannot fathom how anyone at Lionsgate would approve of this Blu-ray. How could anyone say; "This is it, put it out there!"

The only reason why I don't give the video a lower score is because how nice and crisp a lot of the scenes look. It baffles me to why it can look great in one shot and then cut to the next shot and see a blurred image. I would think Lionsgate would take pride in the Highlander films they own the rights too since a remake is coming out. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if a new remastered version comes out in the next few years when this remake comes out. Video scores a 2.5/5.

Now, let's back track to the movie; Connor Macleod is now an old man choosing to die of old age. After another Highlander played by Michael Ironside challenges Connor and ruins his plan of dying old. Connor's youth returns and now must destroy Ironside's character and destroy a machine he created called The Shield which protects the Earth from UV rays because the ozone was destroyed. The film is all over place, but it is still somewhat entertaining to see Christopher Lambert on the screen and kicking ass. Also, John C. McGinley of pre-Scrubs fame is incredible as the supporting antagonist who owns the company behind Connor's invention the Shield. Also, Ironside portrays a great villain like always. Despite the story being all over the place, the cast and the characters they play is what I like about the film. 3.5/5.

We have Lionsgate's usual 7.1 DTS-HD track present and it sounds great. The audio is a 5/5 to me. And the extras score a 5/5 with it's great 50 minute documentary on the film and other various bonus features. As I have stated previously, it's surprising that Lionsgate would approve of the video transfer. I think if they had remastered the video and left everything else as it, this could have been a really great reference disc with all the special effects that were used in this film. It's a shame, but even with everything averaged together, this comes to an overall 4/5.

Alien 2: On Earth (1980)

Movie: 3.5/5
Video: 4.5/5
Audio: 4.5/5
Extras: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5

Oh, the Horror is Sulla Terra!

Alien 2: On Earth or Alien 2: Sulla Terra as it's called in Italy is one of Italy's infamous rip off sequels to a Hollywood production, in this case, Ridley Scott's Alien. The film takes place in a cave after a shuttle from space returns to Earth. The film is entertaining in some aspects, it definitely doesn't work as a sequel to Alien to me. I give the film a 3.5/5. I was joyed to see Michele Soavi in the film as Burt. Soavi played Jerry the man with the mask on his face in Lamberto Bava's Demons and directed the film Dellamorte Dellamore.

The video is amazing for a film that's over thirty years old. The first shots of the film appear really blurry because it's stock footage, but after it cuts to to the real footage shot by "Sam Cromwell", it looks amazing. I have nothing but praises for the video transfer. The only thing that keeps this from being a complete 5/5 is the opening and the ending. As stated, the opening is bit blurry due to stock footage and the ending looks rough, but it's amazing. 4.5/5.

There's only one audio track, English DTS-HD MA 2.0. It sounds fantastic. I wish there could have been more audio tracks, but this takes the cake. 4.5/5. The extras consists of a Dutch VHS trailer and B-Roll. The VHS trailer is ok quality and the B-Roll is taken from the actual film source. My biggest complaint with the B-Roll is that there's no sound at all. They could have thrown the cool theme song on the video to make it more entertaining. Extras get a 3.5/5.

Overall, this is a solid 4/5 Blu-ray. It's amazing that a studio like Midnight Legacy can bring their "A" game to film that's over thirty and compare it to another studio like Timeless Media Group who does a piss poor job on their Howling Trilogy release. Alien 2: On Earth is an amazing release and one I'd never imagine I'd see on the Blu-ray format. I look forward to all the future releases by Midnight Legacy.

The Howling Trilogy: The Marsupials: The Howling III (1987) / The Howling V: Rebirth (1989) / The Howling VI: The Freaks (1991)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 1.5/5
Audio: 3/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2/5

Not A Trilogy!

I am going to be breaking these down individually.

The Masupials: The Howling 3:

The story revolves around a scientist who uncovers footage from the early 1900's of a werewolf and insists that they do exist. Then, a group of individuals who live in the town of "Flow" are a secret race of "Marsupial-Humans". The beautiful Imogen Annesley plays Jerboa who meets a local and soon all hell breaks loose as she has an offspring.

This movie is horribly bad, yet funny at the same time. 2.5/5. The biggest and I mean BIGGEST problem with this video is that it's cropped from 1.85 to 1.33. YOU DO NOT DO THAT! THAT IS A BIG NO-NO! The video gets a 0.5/5. The audio is all right for 2 Channel. 3/5.

Movie - 2.5/5
Video - 0.5/5
Audio - 3.0/5

The Howling V: The Rebirth:

A group of people are gathered in a castle in Hungary. What seems like an innocent getaway turns into murder as someone or something is killing them off.

I thought it was good supernatural murder mystery, 4/5. Video is slightly better, but that's nothing, but at least it's OAR; 1.5/5. Audio again is a 3/5.

Movie - 4.0/5
Video - 1.5/5
Audio - 3.0/5

The Howling VI: The Freaks:

A drifter by the name of Ian comes to a small town that's close to becoming a ghost town until he arrives and helps bring back the local church. Then, the traveling carnival comes to town where Ian comes face to face with the dangerous carnival owner.

Probably my least favorite out of the set, 2/5. The video is in OAR, 1.5/5. Audio, 3/5.

Movie - 2.0/5
Video - 1.5/5
Audio - 3.0/5

Overall:
Movie - 2.5+4+2= 8.5/3 = 2.84 which will be rounded to 3/5.
Video - .5 + 1.5 + 1.5 = 3.5/3 = 1.167 which will be rounded to 1.5/5.
Audio - 3/5

The final overall is 3+1.5+3 = 7.5/4 = 1.875 which will be rounded to 2/5. I spent $11 on this, if you want to get this, don't pay more than that.

One Long Night (2007)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 2.5/5
Audio: 4/5
Extras: 0/5
Overall: 2.5/5

One Long Night...Felt Kinda Long For 90 Minutes.

One Long Night...a title I saw for $5 while searching online at Target to get some free shipping on some Blu-ray titles I was looking to buy, like The Howling Trilogy and Alien 2: On Earth. I picked this little unknown title up to get past my $50 point because I was almost $2 under $50. The film is one of Vivendi Visuals' earlier releases to the format and if you've read the reviews for those other titles before they picked up Dragon Dynasty and The Weinstein Company titles, then you'll know what you're getting yourself into.

The film starts out with Richard who is getting married into a wealthy family. His behavior is the common "A-hole" type as he degrades his valet who is an immigrant. Richard is then called by his boss, at least I think it's his boss who is played by Ed Begley Jr, to go on a trip to Mexico City to report on his company's international finances. Richard reluctantly agrees and heads down where he then is met by Pancho the international head of the company. Pancho takes Richard out for a drink and leaves him stranded out in the middle of Mexico City where Richard ends up going up a certain creek without a paddle and he has to survive for the night. His fight for survival pits him up against gangsters, transsexuals, and corrupt cops. And it will be a night Richard will never forget.

I give the film a 3/5. It does drag at times and the film is not executed evenly. There is a twist at the end and when we get to it; it comes and then quickly goes as if to say; "Oh, we're this close to 90 minutes let's just quickly address this and then move on to the ending credits". In the drama of it all, the humor is somewhat entertaining as we see a Latino-American struggling to make it in a foreign land.

The video is problematic and I don't know what this movie was filmed on, possibly 16mm, I'm not sure. But it's not very detailed. And I know this complaint is probably meant to be artistic, but it's really dark, even in daylight scenes of the film. For me, the video presentation is what counts the most, and this is not a good video presentation. 2.5/5.

The audio is English/Spanish Bilingual 5.1 Dolby Digital with burned in Yellow English subtitles for all of the Spanish dialog. I give it a 4/5. There are no extras, not even a pop up menu, or scene selection. 0/5. And with this averaged up, it rounds up to a dismal 2.5/5. I would recommend this release, but only if you can get it for $5 like I did. It's a nice little indie film that got out into society, which is rare because lots of indie films don't get anywhere.

HDTV Babes Vol. 1 (2011)

Movie: 3/5
Video: 3/5
Audio: 5/5
Extras: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5

If You Live In Germany, You See This Every Night.

As stated in my review for the German release of Silent Hill, I lived in Germany for a few years. At midnight, the stations change to more adult themed material. On a channel which I forget it's name it had a program called "Sexy Fight Night" which had nothing to do with fighting and it was a woman or women stripping down and touching their bodies for several minutes in sports themed locations like a bowling alley or a tennis court, etc. These would last several minutes before going to another loop. This would go on from midnight to six in the morning in Germany.

Now, since I guess this is movie length, I'd give it a 3/5. It was ok. The women were ok. There was 8 scenes that went on for 84 minutes. Out of the eight scenes, I liked the blonde in the field in the third scene. The video ranges and I mean it's hit and miss. Some look sharp, some look soft, some look like they suffer from DNR. Even though I liked the third scene it is the worst PQ wise. It's DNR'd to the max here; video get's a 3/5

The audio is a music track that is this like type of music to relax too. Kinda like elevator music or something like that. 5/5. Extras are a picture gallery that goes on for like 20 minutes and the pictures are mostly better quality than the video. Extras get a 4/5. Even though averaged up this equals to 3.75, I'm rounding down to 3.5 Because the varying PQ is the five letter "B" word for a female dog. Wasn't bad for $15. Will get Vol. 2 sooner or later, not in a rush.