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.