Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 101 mins  – 1984 – Rated PG – 1080p Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1

When I was a kid I remember seeing the commercials for The Last Starfighter and thinking “I have to see this movie.” It was as if the film was made just for me, and no matter what it took, I had to experience it. Thankfully, I was not disappointed then and twenty-five years later, I still feel satisfied. The Last Starfighter was just not an important film to my childhood, but like another sci-fi film, Star Wars, it changed the motion picture industry and gave birth to the age of computer digital effects. Sure, The Last Starfighter is a corny sugar-coated flick that was aimed at all the kids who flooded the arcades to play videogames, but it did it well. For those of you who have not seen the film since you were a kid, or would like to see the film that spawned a whole new filmmaking technology, The Last Starfighter is available on Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment.

THE MOVIE

The story of The Last Starfighter is as simple as the plot of most videogames, whereas an unknowing innocent hero must face a challenge and win or all hope will be lost. The hero, Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), is a young man who lives in a trailer park, but unlike the other quirky residents, he doesn’t want to stay here forever and dreams of leaving this place. The only two things that give him a sense of happiness in this place is the girl he’s in love with Maggie Gordon (Catherine Mary Stewart), and a videogame called Starfighter that he plays religiously. After pumping quarters in the arcade game for months, Alex finally gets the perfect score, which is the biggest event to ever happen in this trailer park. That is until immediately after, a mysterious man shows up named Centauri (Robert Preston) in a fancy car and makes Alex an offer he can’t refuse.

Alex enters the magic car, which is actually a spacecraft, and he is taken across the galaxy where he learns that the Starfighter videogame he’s mastered was actually one of many simulators sent to various worlds in hopes of recruiting fighter pilots to help stop a villainous takeover of the Ko-Dan Armada who are attempting to terminate the Star League, a group of rebels who are attempting to restore order to their world. Obviously, Alex thinks this is all crazy and he’s not the man they are looking for, but after realizing that the threat is real, not only to their world, but Earth as well, he accepts the act of heroism, as every other starship is destroyed, making him the last starfighter who must take on the Ko-Dan Armada on his own.

Sure this sounds like a bad 70’s TV show, but that’s the charm of it. The Last Starfighter knows what it’s offering and doesn’t apologize for it. Director Nick Castle, understood that the mid 80’s was the Spielberg era, and he doesn’t fight it, because the mood and feel is lifted directly from the suburban-ish style of ET, Poltergeist, and The Goonies. Lance Guest as Alex Rogen is the epitome of an young 80’s actor, who is a cross between Kevin Bacon and Andrew McCarthy, but trying to be Mark Hamill. He’s very likeable, and you root for him to win just because of that reason.

But the real importance of The Last Starfighter is (at the time) was its groundbreaking computer generated effects. This was the first film to use CGI effects as a part of displaying the world, instead of using traditional models, miniatures and matt photography. Some think Tron did this first, but what most don’t realize is that Tron’s effects were animated ala Disney to simulate computer graphics. The Last Starfighter was the pioneer film that enlisted computer programmers to create digitally designed planets, ships and a full space battle. Of course by today’s standards it looks lame, but it was the film to actually pull it off. The success of the effects in The Last Starfighter is the reason why films like Terminator 2 and every movie thereafter evolved into the photo-realistic experiences of characters such as The Golem, Yoda, and even Jar Jar Binks.

Anyone who loves videogames and science fiction films will appreciate The Last Starfighter, because it’s a simple fun movie that makes you feel good, whether you want to admit it or not. It will never be on the level of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or The Matrix, but in the history of cinema it will hold up just because it was the first film to expand a new form of technology in the art of motion pictures. Those of you who saw this as a kid and now have children of your own, may find The Last Starfighter to be a nice way to spend the afternoon with your kid, and then play some Wii afterwards. All others can just watch it just for the nostalgia of a time when the canvas of film was still developing,

VIDEO

For a twenty five year old movie, Universal did a nice job with this Blu-ray transfer, offering a full 1080p image in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The image quality is clean, but it’s not perfect and at times seems too bright. Colors are good as well as skin tones, particularly in the trailer park community scenes. The digital effects themselves seem very flat and don’t have that three-dimensional bump that we’re used to seeing, even on a TV show like Battlestar Gallactica. Overall, the image quality is well done, but it can never compete with a current Universal Blu-ray. Those looking for an upgrade from their old DVD will appreciate this more.

AUDIO

The Last Starfighter offers a Dolby Digital DTS 5.1 audio track that sounds good, delivering clear dialogue and sound effects. Being that the premise of the movie is one big video game, the sound design matches the cheesy sound effects from the early Atari and Nintendo games. The one highlight is the film’s score by Craig Safan that gives you the sensation that you are part of an epic adventure. Again, the sound like the video is not on the level of current Blu-ray titles, but for a twenty five year old sci-fi kiddie film, it’s effective.

EXTRAS

I would have actually appreciated a Digital Copy for my own geekish reasons, but unfortunately there isn’t one included, but you do get a couple of cool retro documentaries, and a director’s commentary track.

Director Nick Castle and Production Designer Ron Cobb offer a great audio commentary track that goes into the struggle to get the film made, and convincing the studio that the never before done computer generated effects would work, because they were literally making it up as they went. If you loved this film, you must listen to this track.

‘Heroes of the Screen’ is a retrospective documentary that is a celebration of The Last Starfighter, featuring interviews with the stars, the director, writer, producers, and those who created the special effects. Running twenty-five minutes, you’ll be hanging on the every second, because it will make you appreciate the film even more. One odd thing for me was seeing actor Lance Guest twenty-five years later and now in his late 40’s. Jeez, was life that hard on him? He’s barely recognizable.

‘Crossing the Frontier: Making the Last Starfighter’ is an older documentary that appeared on the standard DVD, that’s broken into four parts: Introduction, Filming the Movie, A New Era of Visual Effects, and Reflections, which all together runs thirty minutes.

An image gallery shows stills of a never alternate ending where Alex Rogen is rewarded by the Star League for his bravery, but maybe that was too close to the ending of Star Wars.

Finally there is the original teaser and theatrical trailers that made ever kid like me want to see a long, long time ago.

BOTTOM LINE

Obviously, I was an impressionable little kid when I first saw The Last Starfighter, but it stayed with me and watching it today still gives me a thrill. This Blu-ray offers good image and sound quality and the retrospective documentaries are definitely worth watching. The Last Starfighter opened the doors for computer digital effects and filmmakers like James Cameron and Peter Jackson should be very grateful for that. For fans this one is a must own, and for the newbies out there, The Last Starfighter is highly recommended. 

SCORES: (out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 3.5

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 4.0

Bottom Line: 4.0

Running Time: 2 hrs. 32 min.

Release Date: August 21st, 2009 (wide)

MPAA Rating: R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality.

Distributors: The Weinstein Company

Brad Pitt

Christolph Waltz

Mélanie Laurent

Diane Kruger

Eli Roth

Brad Pitt is hilarious but it is the (likely Oscar nominated) acting of lesser known Christolph Waltz that steals the show. Waltz plays Nazi Colonel Hans Landa– an evil but well-mannered hunter of Jews who somehow, against the horrors, comes off as a character you enjoy “watching” throughout the film. This is no small feat, and no small testament to a film about comeuppance (in Dirty Dozen fashion, or even Hogan’s Heroes if it were re-done on HBO) that never really succumbs to the oft heavy-handedness of revisionist war films.

It would seem that Quentin Tarantino has become, finally, an auteur. Now you might argue that Tarantino has been an auteur from the get go. Or you might argue that he was certainly an auteur the moment we saw Pulp Fiction. But, in my book, and perhaps in the minds of many of us who are post-Sarris believers in auteur theory, a director need sustain a measured ouevre. In plain English: a director needs great films, over time, that are singularly his/hers.

No one would argue that a Tarantino film always feels like a Tarantino film, and Inglourious Basterds is no different. There are even moments you might believe a scene should/ might have gone a different way, save for the need of Tarantino’s “violent stamp.” For me such moment occurs when the film could choose to expand upon the impossible relationship, painstakingly set-up, between a Jewish cinema owner and a Nazi hero, but instead chooses to have this “couple” blow each other away– with trademark Tarantino violence stamped all over her. For those of us who subscribe to auteur theory, that scene actually needed to be filmed in exactly that manner.

And you will get no argument here that Pulp Fiction was a truly remarkable film. It is a “teaching” film, and will remain a classic for decades to come. But it is with Inglourious Basterds, some fifteen years on, that I now feel comfortable proclaiming Tarantino an Auteur. Inglourious Basterds is a Tarantino film, and yet it also exhibits the fact that Tarantino is continuing to grow as a director. His ability to blend comic elements with the disturbingly serious may– and I know this sounds like sacrilege– one day be superior to Hitchcock’s.

Therein lies the one problem with Tarantino– he works quite infrequently. And that is either his method, and necessary, or it is an infernal shame. Because when you watch Inglourious Basterds you begin to realize that Tarantino has made a war film here, and you salivate at the thought of him orchestrating a Schindler’s List or a Saving Private Ryan. Tarantino has made a dark serio-comedy here, and you wonder what he could do with a few more Fargo’s and Down By Law’s. Tarantino has made a charming love story here where the lovers can’t possibly find love, and a fantasy story wherein Hitler is killed for his sins, and so on and so on. You almost get the feeling he could have made five different, very good movies here– which begs the question: How did he pull off this cornucopia of a film? I won’t give it away here (except the Hitler part, which oddly enough has little to do with the emphasis of this film–only its marketing). What I will say is go and see this one. If you love Tarantino, I’m betting you love him more now. If you do not “get” Tarantino, watch this film with a clean slate: Isn’t it amazing where Tarantino may now be going?

My hope? Back in the directing chair. Soon. And often.

Bottom Line: 4.5/5.0

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released July 31, 2009

2 hr. 12 min.

Ole Christian Madsen/IFC Films

Thure Lindhardt

Mads Mikkelson

Not everyone will be given the opportunity to experience Flame & Citron (Flammen & Citronen) during its theatrical release, but through the wonders of On Demand/DVD, no one will have an excuse to never see it. This is a Hollywood style film made in Danish and German (with English subtitles) that traces (in the vein of Spielberg’s Munich) the clandestine attempt of a few “good” men to seriously damage the Nazi effort. Set in 1944 Copenhagen, and superbly directed and penned by Ole Christian Madsen, the film chronicles the true-life story of a close-knit team of renegades. The problem, though, proves not to be the difficulty of overthrowing the German occupiers, but instead, which of my leaders can I trust?

Flame and Citron are two men who, despite their violence, are justly fighting to limit the havoc of the war. If they can “take out” the right figure heads, as the theory goes, they can effectively destroy the war effort. Only some of the information they are receiving is erroneous. Given instructions are often in the interest of profit, and only after the fact do Flame and Citron become aware. The plot only thickens, as they say.

Flame, nicknamed for his torch-like hair, is a man who could slide right into Hollywood as a sort of über-Bourne. There may be less steroidal hand-to-hand combat, but this is a man who can and will protect what he loves. His partner, Citron, is less prone to violence yet more prone to temper, and the two compose a mercenary team as good as I have seen.

Make no mistake– this is a Hollywood type of film (the most expensive film in the history of Danish cinema). Flame has a budding love life and Citron has a family he may need to lose in order to keep. Multi-layered, like so many foreign films, this movie is also a crowd pleaser. Part story, part war film, part romance, and all thriller, this is a foreign film domestic audiences will love– if only they take the time to seek it out. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if we one day see Thure Lindhardt (Flame) in the occasional Hollywood film. Hollywood has long been adept at “stealing” good looking talent from abroad. This is one theft we wouldn’t mind a bit.

It should be fully noted here that IFC Films is providing a service to the discerning moviegoer: Flame & Citron, In The Loop, Paris– the list goes on– have all come to the U.S. by way of IFC Films. For those who regularly watch IFC on cable or satellite, their penchant for supporting talented filmmakers comes as no surprise. But know this, if IFC is supporting a film and lending its name, chances are you will find it more than worth your while. This is truly a world we live in, after all, and as the new millennium unfolds, the “national” film borders we once knew will, thankfully, continue to fall away, opening up new frontiers (as Kirk famously said) for every fan of the cinema.

Bottom Line: 4.0/5.0

Reviewed by Richard Lee Zuras

Released July 31, 2009

1 hr. 45 min.

R

The Dardenne Brothers/IFC Films

Arta Dobroshi

Jeremie Renier

Why does Roger Ebert, Cannes Film Festival, and a host of other people love the films of the Dardenne Brothers? In part, to paraphrase a famous axiom from Mr. Ebert: you haven’t seen this film before. Lorna’s Silence is such a film you have never seen. Who else but the Dardenne Brothers ( of L’Enfant fame) would bring us a story of an Albanian woman who attempts to flourish in Belgium by marrying a drug addict so she can gain citizenship, divorce, and then marry to provide citizenship to a wealthy Russian mafioso? And when I say bring us a story I mean write it, produce it, direct it. These are two talented men, and their films should be on your list.

But though most critics love Lorna’s Silence (Ebert gives it 3 ½ stars out of 4), there are those in the audience that will not. And without spoiling the film for you, let me now supply you with one piece of advice (the original job of the critic was to save or spend your money, after all): don’t go see this or eventually pay to rent it if your beef with foreign films is a (very American) disdain for “open” endings. This film has one. I won’t ruin it for you. But let me just recount the words of the cinema patron to my left as the credits rolled: “Damn foreign films.”

And you will see (should you go) one of two things happening when the credits roll:

1. Everyone is hoping that after a minute or two the film “will roll” again, and we will get some closure. (I watched this, and felt like screaming “It’s over. They’re not going to give you an ending!”)

2. Everyone is contemplating the possible ending(s) they believe the film has set-up.

Or, I guess, there is a third option. And that option might simply be reader-response. You are either glass half full or half empty. But trust me, you will have to work at the end of this film.

The reward? This is a sensational script, the film is populated by lasting characters, and the lead is played flawlessly by actress Arta Dobroshi. She is so good, so unique, that I struggle to find an actress to compare her to. Her face is that of a silent film star. Her features actually express emotions even when they seem inert. It is one of the only performances you will actually feel.

The drug addict, with which Arta shares several convincing scenes, is played with absolute vermilitude by Jeremie Renier. Their scenes are so weighted that had the Dardenne brothers pulled those scenes out and released a short film containing only their relationship– it would stand on its own. They are the kind of actors one “discovers” and begins to line one’s Netflix cue with their previous films.

The film really is that good. Unless you need full closure, in which case it is that bad.

Bottom Line: 4.0/5.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 128 mins – 2009 – Rated  PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

It’s hard to make a good political thriller. In the 70’s there were a wave of these movies, but since then maybe one or two have been standouts, but other than that, they just don’t seem to catch on with audiences. State of Play, a film that was well received by the critics didn’t make much of an impact at the box office, even with it’s heavyweight cast, the movie died quick at the box office. While not a perfect film, State of Play is worth your attention and is now available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

THE MOVIE

State of Play starts off with a bang involving two murders, one being a small time thief gunned down in an alley, and the second is a Congressman’s female assistant who falls in the path of a train. Though they may seem unrelated, Cal McAffrey (Russel Crowe), a hotshot reporter for the Washington Globe, thinks that there’s more here that meets the eye. Cal goes after the story full swing, and being that he happened to be the former college roommate of the Congressman who is involved in the mix (Ben Affleck), he gets a huge lead that the politician’s involvement with corporation called PointCorp may have led to her death. Cal and a junior reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) slam themselves into the story that keeps snowballing with more hidden details that could destroy the lives of several major player in the Washington game, who will do whatever it takes to prevent light from being shined on them.

Directed by Kevin MacDonald, who also directed The Last King of Scotland, State of Play works because the whole film is one big puzzle that the viewer is putting together piece by piece. Crowe as always delivers a rock solid performance that delivers the energy needed to move the pace of the story. And Helen Mirren steals every scene she’s in playing the no holds barred editor of the Globe. Also, making noteworthy appearances are Jeff Daniels and Jason Bateman, who play characters who are shells of the reason why things in Washington are such a mess.

The film starts off strong, but it’s the middle act that slows things down to a crawl, but if you give it a chance the payoff is satisfying. MacDonald does his best to make the tight ends work, and he is complemented by a solid cast, but if fifteen minutes were edited out of the two hour and eight minute running time, maybe it would have made a difference. State of Play is still worth a look, especially for anyone looking for a movie that is not aimed at tweenies.

VIDEO

Presented in full 1080p in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, State of Play looks good on Blu-ray going for a gritty look that is reminiscent of the 70’s political thrillers it’s attempting to emulate. Skin tones are well displayed, and details highlight every bit of stubble on Crowe’s face. Grain is present, but adds to the style of the film, which is doing all it can to show how dirty Washington politics are.

AUDIO

Offering a Dolby Digital DTS-HD 5.1 mix, State of Play sounds great, whether it be the chaotic sounds of the Washington Globe newsroom, or the bustling ambience of a congressional meeting, or the noisy streets of D.C., this Blu-ray makes good use of your surround sound set-up. Dialogue is well balanced and the music score by Alex Heffes complete the package.

EXTRAS

The bonus features are thin, not even offering a director’s audio commentary track, but for some reason this seems this seems to be the trend with the latest batch of Universal Blu-ray titles.

The Making of State of Play is a twenty-minute behind the scenes look at the movie, which highlights quick interview clips with the cast and filmmakers and spotlights the town of D.C.

Via Picture-in-Picture you can watch behind the scenes segments as the film plays. If you liked the movie you may get some interesting notes from this.

Washington D.C. Locations allows you to access Google to pinpoint the actual locations that film was shot in as the scenes occur.

Two deleted scenes running four minutes total don’t add much more to the story, but are interesting to see.

BOTTOM LINE

State of Play is a well-made film with a powerhouse cast that is definitely worth a viewing. The Blu-ray offers excellent picture and sound, but the extras leave a lot to be desired. Unless you saw the film theatrically and enjoyed it, you may want to rent it first before deciding to make a purchase.

SCORES: (out of 5)

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 125 mins  – 2009 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.40: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1

Duplicity sets out to fill two spots, first it’s a film about spies and corrupt organizations, but it’s also a romantic comedy. In a year where movies based on toys from the 80’s are dominating the box office, it’s refreshing to see a film like Duplicity that is relying on characters and how they interact with each other, rather than over the top special effects. For those looking for a film that allows you to think, rather than just react, Duplicity is available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

THE MOVIE

Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, who last starred together in the 1994 film Closer, play former CIA officer Claire Stenwick and MI6 operative Ray Koval, two experts in their field who have no real war to fight anymore, so are reduced to being agents for big corporate entities who are dueling for power. Claire and Ray are lovers on one day and the next they are both attempting to be the first to get their hands on a formula for a product that will give massive wealth to the company that acquires it first. One is employed by an powerful industrialist named Tully (Tom Wilkinson) and the other is on the payroll of a super CEO named Garsil (Paul Giamatti). Claire and Ray use every cat and mouse tactic in the book to gain the advantage over the other, but their uncontrolled passion for each other could blow apart their missions.

Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who recently helmed Michael Clayton, Duplicity is a web of complex twist and turns that will satisfy anyone looking for an intelligent story, but at the same time the film doesn’t forget about it’s core audience, the romantic comedy crowd. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen have a nice onscreen chemistry, but oddly it’s the co-stars, Giamatti and Wilkinson, who steal most of the spotlight as the power hungry dueling big bosses who hate each other’s guts.

Duplicity is not Get Smart or a Jason Bourne film, so there is no flash with things blowing up and cars skidding on two wheels. Instead it plays out like Oceans Eleven, Twelve, or Thirteen where the characters match wits, instead of firing off bullets. To some the pacing may feel very slow, but if you’ve scene Gilroy’s last film Michael Clayton, you will know that this is his style, and he obvious likes to pay homage to films from the 60’s and 70’s.

Though not a perfect film in any way, Duplicity gets points for trying to stimulate some form of intelligent style. Fans of Julia Roberts, (if there are really any left) will be happy to see her again on screen, and Clive Owen, who has great movie star quality, still has not locked his signature role. Duplicity is definitely worth a look just as long as you accept if for what it is, because it has some good moments, but it will not be labeled a classic.

VIDEO

Presented in 1080p in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, Duplicity looks great on Blu-ray. Colors stand out strong, and blacks are extremely sharp. This film’s visual style is very impressive, making great use of slow motion as well as bringing out the look of the locations. Julia Roberts may have been the pretty woman back in the day, but not to be mean, high-definition does not really flatter her. This is an excellent transfer that will jump off your screen.

AUDIO

Duplicity offers a Dolby Digital DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track that sounds great, allowing for crisps and clean dialogue. The front speakers will handle most of the work, but background ambience is handled well in street scenes and large location shots. Overall, the audio does the trick without overdoing it.

EXTRAS

Odd, you would think a film of this stature would have some decent bonus goodies, but there’s basically nothing to fill up all the space left on this Blu-ray. The only thing available is an audio commentary track from director Tony Gilroy and his brother, who is the film’s editor, John Gilroy. This one will put sleep to sleep.

BOTTOM LINE

Duplicity is not for everyone, but if you give it a chance it may grow on you. The Blu-ray offers an excellent image and solid sound quality, but the lack of bonus features is a crime. Unless you absolutely loved this film when it was released in theaters, there’s no real reason to buy it, because it is basically only a rental.

SCORES: (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.5

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 1.0

Bottom Line: 3.0

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 114 mins  – 2009 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 1.85: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 – Digital Copy

When the original Last House on the Left was released in 1972, it was shocking for the times, displaying a graphic rape scene, extreme violence and glorifying revenge. This was Wes Craven’s first movie, and it’s raw “no apologies” style made the film and instant cult classic with horror fans. Unfortunately, like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, and Friday the 13th, instead of leaving what was well enough alone, Last House on the Left was also sucked into the “remake” or  “re-imagining” pipeline. Like it or not, the rehash of Last House is available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and if you’re a purist, go to the house on the right and stay away from this one.

THE MOVIE

The story attempts to stay close to the original concept where two silly teenage girls, Mari (Sarah Paxton) the “innocent one,” and Paige (Martha MacIsaac) the “naughty one,” attempt to have a little fun and smoke some weed with a boy they just met, Justin (Spencer Treat Clark). Having the worst luck in the world, the girls discover that Justin happens to be the son of a brutal escaped convict, Krug (Garret Dillahunt) who’s entourage includes his psychotic brother Francis (Aaron Paul) and his sadistic girlfriend Sadie (Riki Lindhome). For no other reason, but to just have something happen, Mari and Paige are kidnapped by the gang and beaten, and just to make the bad guys badder, Paige is killed and Mari is raped, shot and left for dead.

The twist occurs when Krug and his gang need shelter from a storm that hits the area and they make it to the last house on the left, which so happens to be where Mari’s parents, John and Emma (Tony Goldwyn and Monica Potter) are staying, waiting for their daughter to come home. To avoid giving too much away, as you can imagine, the parents who are hospitable to the gang of strangers at first, discovers what brutal thing they have done and seek revenge by any and all violent means accessible.

In the 70’s, it was easy to shock people with violence, rape and gore, but now we’ve seen it all, and you would think that when remaking a film that started this genre, the filmmakers would do something clever to up the ante…Nope. Instead director Dennis lliadis, (who is this guy?) chose to do a watered down version of the original film, and stick it into a neat R rated package. Yes, this Blu-ray also includes an unrated version of the film, but it still doesn’t deliver the punch that will make you remember the film after the credits role.

The original Last House on the Left was echoing the violent times that were occurring in the world, such as many films did in that era, but except for the obvious “re-make it for some quick cash fever,” there was absolutely no reason to make this movie again, because even though the original had a budget of about $3 dollars, it’s still far more superior and gets under your skin more. Hollywood is running out of things to remake (well, let’s hope they are), so eventually a new wave of original horror films are on the horizon. Until then, horror fans still have a huge backlog of classic films from the 70’s and 80’s to get their fix, or they can turn to the foreign horror market to see brilliant fresh horror such as Let the Right One In. Just don’t get that confused with Last House on the Left, because there’s a massive difference.

VIDEO

Last House on the Left comes to Blu-ray in full 1080p with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and though it looks, it doesn’t exactly jump off the screen either. It seems that the director was trying to give the film a dark 70’s tone, where colors are muted and grain is intentional to make things look harder. Blacks are handled nicely, and skin tones are highlighted with good texture balance, so just by the faces you can instantly tell who are the bad guys and who are the good guys just by how dirty their faces are.

AUDIO

This Blu-ray offers an acceptable DTS-HD 5.1 Lossless master track, allowing you to hear all the bad dialogue crystal clear. Sound effects are well done, making solid use of the rear speakers, especially for rain effects. Basically, the sound won’t win any awards, but it gets the job done.

EXTRAS

Hmmm….it seems as if no one wanted to take any credit for this film. The bonus features for the Blu-ray are completely anemic, not even offering an audio commentary track. You get both the theatrical and unrated versions of the film, but is anyone going to watch the censored version when you have the option to see a little more gore?

There’s a three-minute Look Inside promo with quick clips of the film and comments by Wes Craven, who serves as a producer.

A slapped together collection of deleted scenes adds nothing new to the film, and does nothing more than take up space.

A second disc includes a Digital Copy of the theatrical version of the film. Yawn!

BOTTOM LINE

If you have the option of seeing the original Last House on the Left, see that version instead of this one, because if you do it in reverse you’ll kill the effect. The Blu-ray offers decent picture and sound, but the extras are thinner than a super model. It’s is advised that you spend your hard earned dollar on another Blu-ray, because this one is no more than a rental.

SCORES: (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras:  1.0

Bottom Line: 2.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 105 mins  – 2009 – Unrated – 1080p Widescreen 1.85: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 – Digital Copy

Being a huge fan of movies about underdogs and fighting in general, I figured a film like Fighting would be sweeter than sugar. Then within fifteen minutes I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Was it lame script? Was it the bad stereotypical characters? Was it Channing Tatum’s extremely bad acting? Basically it’s all of the above and more. This is one of those films that have a premise that is usually hard to screw up, but now that theory has been proven very wrong. Fighting comes to Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, but realistically it may be better to get a punch in the face than watch this.

THE MOVIE

Set in New York City, Fighting centers around a street kid named Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum), who gets by selling bootleg items on street corners. When a rival group of street hustlers attempt to rob him and he fights back, he gets the interest of another small time hustler named Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard), who thinks he has what it takes and convinces him to fight in underground punch out tournaments for some real money. Shawn obviously takes the bait seeking cash, and begins to duke it out against various stereotyped opponents like the crazy Russian, the martial arts Asian guy, and the massive goon with no neck who is covered with tattoos. The only person missing from this batch seems to be Chun-Li from Street Fighter.

Obviously there has to be a girl thrown in the mix, so Shawn falls for a Spanish bar girl named Zulay Henao (Zulay Valez), who has some secrets of her own. Shawn’s own past catches up with him when he meets a childhood rival (Brian White), who wouldn’t you know just happens to be the current champ of these fighting tournaments. Go figure. As you would expect, Shawn must duke it out with his old rival in a final fight to show that he is the best.

Directed by Dito Montiel, who’s last film was A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Fighting attempts to be hard edged and gritty, but instead looks like an episode of the TV show New York Undercover. Saints had a style and tone, but Fighting is compressed into a neat PG-13 box, (even though it’s an unrated version), that removes all the rough texture that the film is supposed to have. Another problem with the Fighting, is that you would expect that what it lacked it plot it would make up in kick-ass fight scenes. Nope, that’s not the case here. The fight scenes in this film are so badly choreographed that two children wrestling each other in a sandbox would offer more of a thrill.

Terrence Howard is a good actor, as he proved in Hustle & Flow, but here he’s just going through the motions, which is a shame because he could have been the key to giving this film more. Channing Tatum, who is basically the poor man’s Josh Hartnett (if that’s anything to aspire to), is desperately trying to come off as a sympathetic but tough guy, but he just doesn’t have it. I’m not sure if even Scorsese could pull a rabbit out if this guy’s hat. This new wave of Shia LaBeouf clones may get the tweenie girls hot, but come on, there must be one who can seriously act and command the screen like young Leonardo DiCaprio once did.

If you want to see a good movie about this brutal underground scene, see Fight Club because Fighting is for chumps and girls who have watched crap like Step Up a zillion times. And if you truly love movies, then rent the old Charles Bronson film Hard Times, a good film about street brawling that Fighting rips off unapologetically. This film died a quick death at the box office and the reason why is that movie audiences may be desperate to be entertained…but they’re not that desperate.

VIDEO

What Fighting lacks in story, it makes up for in image quality tenfold. Presented in full 1080p in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the transfer of this film is so sharp that at certain points it looks like you’re looking out the window and seeing it all happen. You can see every line and bead of sweat on the actor’s faces, and being a New Yorker myself, the city looks great displaying all the glory of the big apple. Colors are bright and the blacks stand strong, even during the night sequences the lighting is well executed to bring out details of clothing, face and places.  This one is a visually winner for Blu-ray.

AUDIO

Offering a Dolby Digital DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audi track, Fighting sounds great making use of all the surround speakers. Dialogue (though very bad) sounds crystal clear, allowing you to hear all of Tatum’s mumbling. The fight sequences are where it all shines, allowing you to hear the crowd chanting in the background, objects breaking, and the hard crack every time a fast makes contact. Like the image quality, Fighting’s sound is also top notch.

EXTRAS

What’s going on over at Universal? Where are the bonus features for your new releases lately? Basically all you’re getting is the option to watch either the theatrical or unrated cut, and some lame deleted scenes. Sure, this was a bad film, but come on, throw in a little bling to make up for that. Yeah, there’s a Digital Copy, but so what?

BOTTOM LINE

Unless you’re a teenage girl with posters of Channing Tatum and The Jonas Brothers on your walls, there really isn’t much you’ll get out of Fighting. The Blu-ray delivers an amazing picture quality and great sound, but is completely anemic on the bonus features. This film is no more than a rental, and if  you really want to see a great film about an underdog who uses his fist to rise to the top, there are a series of films by a guy who calls himself the Italian Stallion that do it so much better.

SCORES: (out of 5):

The Movie:  2.0

Video: 4.5

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 1.0

Bottom Line: 2.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 115 mins  – 2007 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 1.85: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1

Adam Sandler is one lucky guy. Seriously, out of all the people who have come and gone on Saturday Night Live, would you ever thought that he’s be one of the guys who would conquer Hollywood? He’s done some good stuff like The Wedding Singer and Punch Drunk Love, but he’s also responsible for Little Nicky. Sandler is good to his friends and always throws them a bone, which is why Rob Schneider should worship the ground he walks on. Well now TV’s King of Queens is on Sandler’s cool list, producing a big hit for him earlier this year, Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Sandler and James teamed up in 2007 to make I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, a silly comedy that made a lot of loot. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry lands on Blu-ray via Universal Studios Home Entertainment, so if you’re a Sandler and James fan, you’ll be in heaven.

THE MOVIE

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry wants to shine a positive light on the subject of gay marriage, but whether or not they succeeded is up to you. The story revolves around two firefighters, Chuck (Adam Sandler) and Larry (Kevin James) who are friends with two different lifestyles. Chuck is a womanizing pig and Larry is a widower taking care of his two children. Desperate to keep his pension for his kids in the event that something happens to him on the job, Larry convinces Chuck to marry him so the money will be safe for his family.

After some major convincing Chuck agrees to marry him and the two friends movie in together to make it all look legit, because they are being investigated by the state who believes it’s all a fraud. They hire a lawyer (Jessica Biel) to take their case and obviously it has to be a hot girl to put them Chuck’s dedication to the test. What results is everything you’ve seen John Ritter do through many seasons of Three’s Company, only he did it much better and funnier.

Believe it or not, that’s it. That’s all you’re going to get out of this flick, and even though you may get a chuckle here and there, there’s nothing in this movie to make you believe anything other than it was slapped together to make a quick buck because of current events with the gay marriage agenda. The one real problem with the movie is that it plays things way too safe, because it doesn’t want to offend. But since the subject is offensive anyway, they should have just gone for it Judd Apatow style and really delivered some laughs. This one will never be labeled as an all time comedy classic, but if you have two hours to kill, there are worse movies to watch.

VIDEO

The Blu-ray’s image quality is decent, but it’s nothing spectacular. With a full 1080p image in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio the picture offers bright colors and nice details, but sometimes the image looks soft, which is distracting. Overall, the film offers a very sitcom-like look, so don’t expect anything that much greater than a standard DVD.

AUDIO

Chuck and Larry displays a Dolby Digital DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix that offers clean dialogue, and makes acceptable use of ambient sounds. There are no bells and whistles; it just gets the job done effectively.

EXTRAS

Not much here, and it appears that features from the standard DVD were not ported over. What’s up with that? There is plenty of room remaining on this Blu-ray.

Director Dennis Dugan and stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James provide audio commentary tracks, but good luck getting through them.

 A silly Friendship Trivia Test is also included, but playing with your thumbs will probably be more fun.

BOTTOM LINE

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry has its issues, but it does offer a few giggles to satisfy fans. The image and sound quality are basic, but not up to par with other Universal titles out there. Various bonus features from the standard DVD were not ported over for some reason, so you may want to consider that if you plan on getting this Blu-ray. Adam Sandler comedies come and go so if you’re a fan of this one, you know what you’re getting into. For all others, this one is only a rental.

SCORES: (out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 2.5

Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 129 mins  – 1995 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.85: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1

The Terry Gilliam film 12 Monkeys has gained more momentum over the years than when it was originally released in 1995. Many who saw it fourteen years ago and didn’t think much of it, have seen it again and praised it for its originality and style of storytelling that is different from what a conventional science fiction movie offers. Director Terry Gilliam has made some unique films, and 12 Monkeys is one of his best. If you’ve never seen it, or you’re interested in revisiting it, 12 Monkeys is now available on Blu-ray from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

MOVIE

12 Monkeys is not a bright and shiny sci-fi flick like Star Trek, or a noir-and-neon movie like Blade Runner, 12 Monkeys is dark, dirty, gloomy and doesn’t attempt to apologize for it by offering hope. The story centers around a killer virus that wipes out nearly everyone on Earth in the mid 90’s, and those who survived have to live underground to quarantine what’s left of the human race. Now, in the year 2035, a prisoner named James Cole (Bruce Willis) volunteers for a mission to go back in time to 1996 and find the source of origin of the virus, which was said to be created and then spread by a mysterious group known as the Army of the Twelve Monkeys. Something goes wrong with his course of travel and instead of 1996 Cole arrives in 1990, where is thrown into a mental institution because everyone in the past thinks he’s a lunatic.

In the institution he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe), who he kidnaps and uses as a means to find the location of the Army of 12 Monkeys. She obviously thinks he’s dangerous, but eventually starts to see that he’s telling the truth and helps him. Also locked in the institution is a man named Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), a true nut-case who is the son of the scientist who created the deadly virus, and is the future founder of the Army of 12 Monkeys. Now Cole must figure out a way to stay alive, survive constant time travel and unravel the mystery that will hopefully save five billion people from being wiped out.

Based on the short French movie La Jetee, 12 Monkeys takes the audience on an intelligent journey that reconfirms that mankind is more of a threat to itself than any other force of nature. Terry Gilliam, known for his more outlandish set pieces such as Baron Munchausen and Brazil, tones himself down quite a bit to make a more commercial film and succeeds on many levels. Bruce Willis does an excellent job playing a man who just wants to survive, but he’s not the wisecracking John McClane character that we’re used to. Brad Pitt also shines playing a guy you wouldn’t want to be locked in a room with, but at the same time there’s something likeable about him.

12 Monkeys does not have transforming robots or CGI characters, because people are used as the selling point. Bruce Willis is not being chased by helicopters are a ball of fire, but the tone of action is just as solid as any of his other films. For anyone looking for something different, this film should definitely be seen because unlike most films that you forget as soon as the ending credits role, 12 Monkeys stays with you. The film is not perfect, but even with its flaws it’s more superior that most of the stuff coming out of the studios now. 12 Monkeys deserves you attention.

VIDEO

This is a shame, because with a film this visually effective, the transfer is not up to speed. 12 Monkeys was originally released on HD-DVD, and it seems that Universal just ported the same transfer to Blu-ray because nothing new was done to enhance the image quality. Presented in 1080p in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the image quality is acceptable, but it’s not up to the Blu-ray standards that we’ve been spoiled by. The quality is not super sharp and some scenes look very muddy and flat. Grain is present in many spots, and the colors will not jump out at you. If this were a standard DVD it would be fine, but this is not the one to show off and convince folks to upgrade to high definition.

AUDIO

Fortunately, the sound makes up for the image because with the Dolby Digital DTS-HD lossless 5.1 audio mix, 12 Monkeys sounds great. Dialogue is clear, and background sounds such as the constant chatter in the mental institution immerses you into the scenes. The film’s music score by Paul Buckmaster  is also heightened and becomes one of the film’s characters as you follow Cole’s adventure. Overall, the sound is a plus.

EXTRAS

The selections of bonus features is slim, and are ported over from previous editions of the DVD and HD-DVD, so nothing is in high definition.

Director Terry Gilliam and the film’s producer Charles Roven sit down for an audio commentary track. This is actually a good commentary, because Gilliam has a fun way of telling stories, and he goes into how it was like to work with big name stars like Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.

The 12 Monkeys’ Archives is a collection of stills, concept art and storyboards. Nothing fancy, but it’s worth taking a look at.

The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of the 12 Monkeys is by far the best bonus feature on the disc. The feature length documentary goes into the whole process of the making the film from cradle to grave. If you loved the movie 12 Monkeys, this will make you appreciate it even more, because in the end it may look glamorous when you see star-studded Hollywood movie premiers on TV, but filmmaking is a very hard job, and though many do it, only a few know how to do it right.

Purist will be happy that the original trailer for 12 Monkeys is also included on the disc.

BOTTOM LINE

12 Monkeys has stood strong over the past fourteen years and continues to gather a new audience, because of its unique take on the science fiction genre. The Blu-ray’s image quality is not as spectacular as others out there, but it’s good, and the sound mix is well done to pull you into the experience. This movie is not only recommended to fans, but also to anyone who has never seen 12 Monkeys and are looking for something new. Pick this one up.

SCORES: (out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 3.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.5