2.28.2013

A Filmgeek's Blu-ray Wish List # 1


This is basically a "dream" list of mine. Films that have not yet gotten the Blu-ray treatment and have no plans to in the near future. But with the recent awesome releases of unknown and forgotten gems from companies like Shout! Factory, I can't help but get excited at the thought that maybe one day one of these few will get the special treatment. One can only hope. 

Transformers The Movie (1986)

This would probably be number 1 on my list of "dream" Blu-ray releases. I mean, I'm sure it's going to happen, it's inevitable I suppose. This property is huge and with each new Michael Bay live action film that comes out, I'm constantly shocked that no one has released this on Blu-ray yet. It's just dying to get the Blu treatment, if ever there was a film.

Transformers The Movie is without a doubt one of my favorite animated films of all time. And just in terms of the Transformers universe in general, this is the best interpretation. It's surprisingly violent considering this is a kids property and also taking into account this was 1986. It's got a vicious pace with some intense sequences that always surprise me. Top notch clean animation and a thunderous rockin' 80's soundtrack only make this 100% certified Badass. The 20th Anniversary DVD edition released in 2006 is pretty good. with a decent picture quality and a healthy dose of extras. But I'd be fine without the extras if they were to clean this baby up for Blu-ray.
It bothers me so much these days that whenever anybody mentions Transformers, their mind automatically now goes to Michael Bay's films rather than this film or even the original cartoon. This needs to reemerge for a new audience to appreciate and to remind people that there was life in The Transformers universe before Bay turned the franchise into a mess.

The Punisher (1989)

This. This just has to happen. This just needs the badass treatment. Whether you love or hate this as an official "Punisher" film, you can't deny that this isn't one helluva badass action film in general. Relentless, violent and certainly entertaining, Dolph Lundgren was just awesome as The Punisher. I know, I know. He didn't have the trademark costume, was considerably thinner than usual, and in the official U.S. release, there was barely a glimpse of Frank Castle. But duuuuude, this movie rocks with solid action from beginning to end.

I 'd love to see this get cleaned up for Blu, include some interviews, maybe some on set footage and a trailer for sure. But most of all, I'd want to see the U.S. cut along with the full uncut version in here as well that has become legendary. I don't think these extra scenes make the film any better, but more people need to see them. And there is a lot of extra footage. If I remember correctly, just the beginning alone had something like 30 extra minutes. Personally, after having seen the extended version, I still prefer the U.S. cut. While cool to see all that footage of Lundgren as Frank Castle, I didn't necessarily feel it added anything to the film.

For all things Punisher here on robotGEEK'S Cult Cinema, here are some links:

http://robotgeekscultcinema.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-punisher-1989.html

http://robotgeekscultcinema.blogspot.com/2011/11/punisher-workprint-edition.html

http://robotgeekscultcinema.blogspot.com/2012/03/punisher-1989-german-big-box-vhs.html

http://robotgeekscultcinema.blogspot.com/2011/10/vhs-cover-of-day-punisher-1989.html

http://robotgeekscultcinema.blogspot.com/2012/07/punisher-short-film-dirty-laundry.html

Action Jackson (1988)

Aaaaaahhhh I loooooove this film so damn much. To the average moviegoer, this looks like a standard 80's action film. But to the filmgeek, this is so much more. I would actually considered this a bonafide Blaxpoitation film. This has all the elements; ridiculous action, hot chicks, a bigger than life titular character, and just his fucking name.....Action Jackson. It doesn't get any better than that!

Directed by legendary stunt coordinator turned action director Craig R. Baxley, who also gave us the triple threat of Action Jackson, I Come in Peace aka Dark Angel and Stone Cold before converting to television work, Action Jackson is an amazing piece of Badass Cinema. His stunt work and direction are top notch and the score by Michael Kamen and Herbie Hancock add that special touch to an already awesome film.

Being one of my absolute favorite action films of all time, one thing that "always" bothered me was that this has never been available in widescreen. VHS, DVD and Laserdisc all come in annoying full frame or pan and scan and even the DVD has nothing in the way of extras. I did see it on Netflix Instant once and to my disbelief, it was shockingly in widescreen. I couldn't believe it. It looked amazing. I'd say it's about time this one got the Blu ray treatment.

Never Too Young To Die (1986)

Words alone cannot explain this film. This truly is a piece of cinema that needs, no.....begs, to be seen.

I remember this when it first hit VHS way back in the mid 80's, but remember virtually nothing about it other than it starred John Stamos and Gene Simmons (KISS). But when my VHS obsession began a year ago I tracked this sucker down and let me tell you, I was not prepared for what I was about to see. This is without a doubt one of the biggest "WTF?!" movies I have ever seen. It's hard to explain and it's hard to wonder what the filmmaking team was thinking when they were making this. At times it's like a low-budget mash-up of James Bond and Mad Max (that alone is strange enough). At other times it feels like another film entirely. It's completely and utterly ridiculous from start to finish, but it's got nice production value and it's competently made, which throws you off. John Stamos's character is named Stargrove. Gene Simmons plays a hermaphrodite lounge singing villain named Velvet Von Ragnar. Seriously. Vanity appears throughout either half naked or just naked. Nice. And well, what can I say. I love this film to death. It has everything you want for an awesome time.

This has never been officially released on DVD, and there's no widescreen print of this available anywhere. Not even on Laserdisc, which typically sells for the insane amount of $100 a pop. The VHS though is fairly cheap and easy to get. This just needs a proper release in it's proper aspect ratio and considering it's never been released on DVD at all, what better time than now.

Raiders of Atlantis (1983)

Oh wow. What a gem in the Trash Cinema genre this one is.

Directed by Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodato and shamelessly ripping off everything from Mad Max, Indiana Jones, Night of the Living Dead to Assault on Precinct 13 and everything in between, Raiders of Atlantis aka Atlantis Inferno is one of the best examples of Trash Cinema if ever there was one.

This has been released countless times on VHS all over the world, of which I own many. But so far to my knowledge, the Greek VHS release is the only one I've found in letterbox format. So it is possible and it is available that way. Some online sellers have even converted this Greek VHS release onto DVD making it easily available for purchase from major online outlets. But I'd still like a cleaned up Blu-ray edition in widescreen because as ridiculous as this film is, it's soooooo much fun. It would be fun to see some onset footage or even some old interviews and even a trailer for this one. Someone buy the rights and release this now!

2.27.2013

Wonder Woman fan made trailer / Fan Film


Now this is a Wonder Woman film I'd love to see. I'm not generally a Wonder Woman fan, but this is just too badass not to share. Here's some further info via Cinema Blend:

This teaser trailer, shared by Latino-Review, was conceived and shot by one-time stunt coordinator Jesse V. Johnson (Planet of the ApesLincoln) who reportedly recruited cinematographer friend HC Van Urfalian, a striking brunette actress named Nina Bergman, and character actor Peter Stormare (!!) to record a reel of Wonder Woman in action. The director told the site: 
“It was my manager/producing partner Kailey Marsh’s idea to shoot the trailer. She really believes I should be a studio director, and thought shooting Wonder Woman would be a great way to show off my skills in a fun way that people could get excited about.”

They even recruited Robert Sebree to come up with a teaser poster:  

2.26.2013

Quick Shot: Frankenhooker (1990)


1990
Directed by: Frank Henenlotter
Category: Horror

I wouldn't call this a horror film as it's more of an excuse to show off some bugnuts insane crazy effects and a completely ridiculous storyline with equally ridiculous scenarios. But you know what? It works. It's fun, and obviously doesn't take itself seriously at all so what would you expect from a film titled Frankenhooker?

I will say this, my expectations were indeed exceeded by the sheer amount of balls Henenlotter (Basket Case 1, 2, 3, Brain Damage) and company displayed by making this thing. It's an acquired taste, definitely. But watch it with the right company, with the right amount of alcohol and this thing is a blast. One of the better "So Bad It's Good" horror films out there and one I'll probably revisit from time to time.

Do I even need to bother with a synopsis? Okay, here's a quick one. Average New Jersey girl gets cut to pieces by her nerdy boyfriends automatic lawnmower invention. Nerdy, slightly insane boyfriend decides to bring her back to life by killing and cutting up hookers for body parts and preserving his dead girlfriends head and brain. Only problem is that by taking on all these random hooker body parts, she's also acquiring all of there tricks and trades naturally making her a hooker at heart.

This was really fun. Though made in 1989 and released in 1990, it looks and feels like something from 1982, which only adds to its' charm. Throw in some truly horrendous acting from a plethora of non-actors and casting the truly hot Patty Mullen in the lead with surprisingly good comedic skills and it all makes for a good time. The effects were pretty inventive and impressive considering the budget, and Henenlotter's direction is what you'd expect it to be, competent for the most part considering the material.

If anything, this is worth a viewing if for nothing other than the scene in the hotel room where a half a dozen or so naked hookers spontaneously explode. I mean, there's no other way to describe it. You just have to see it to believe it. It's pretty far out there and it's spectacular.

2.24.2013

The Presidio (1988)


1988
Directed by: Peter Hyams
Category: Thriller

This was a film I never felt the urge to watch ever since it was released. I don't know, the cover just doesn't do it for me, neither does the title. But as an adult, I love classic Peter Hyams films, no matter what the genre is. The guy was such an accomplished filmmaker in his prime, the 1980's and 1990's. Running Scared, Sudden Death, Timecop, Outland, 2010, all great fun films and visually an unmistakable Peter Hyams film.

So yea, then there's The Presidio, tucked away in his filmography between Running Scared and Timecop. One of the things I love about Netflix Instant is that it gives me the opportunity to watch films that I would not have given a second thought to. Films like this. Yet, as I browse occasionally when I'm looking for something to watch or play in the background, they suggest films to me based on my viewing history and this one popped up. I was intrigued. And I was also in the mood or something light and simple. An old school style thriller from the 80's, and this one certainly fit the bill. How was it? Here we go.

I actually liked this one a lot. It's a simply paint-by-numbers thriller about a civilian detective (Harmon), who teams up with a Colonel (Connery), his former commanding officer, to investigate the death of a soldier on base. There's nothing flashy or complex about this film at all. Nothing that makes it stand out from all the others that would make you remember it. But I think that's why I liked it so much. It's a competently made thriller with a visual panache, as Hyams is certainly capable of when he's running on all cylinders. There are no big action sequences or explosions or anything like that, but there is a good foot chase and small car chase sequence thrown in there, along with the films final showdown sequence, which was entertaining enough that it made up for the lack of any action for the majority of the film. But that's still not a complaint because I never got bored. All the leads were great, the film looked amazing and it possesses that old school "feel" about it.

There is one scene that will always stand out for me. It offers nothing to the film in general and is in reality a filler shot of someone walking up a flight of stairs outside an apartment building. It's the angle Hyams chose, the way he shot it and how he framed it that make it so amazing and why I love the way he directs films. It's a shot nobody would or should care about, but I do because it's a testament to this guy's talent as a director with enough visual ingenuity that he can make something so simple look so amazing.

For me, this was a great way to spend 90 minutes late at night. It reminded me of how films used to be made. Simple effective stories and execution. Oh, and before I forget. There's a scene where Sean Connery's character actually beats the shit out of a bigger dude in a bar by simply using his thumb. The best part is that he actually tells the poor schlob this before he does it. He tells him that he's going to beat the shit out of him by simply using his thumb, so at least the guy knew what he had coming. It needs to be seen to be believed, and it was definitely awesome.

2.23.2013

Not Bad For A Human signed copy up for grabs on eBay!


Attention!
Our good friend and fellow filmgeek Ingo at Hellford 667 Movie Reviews is selling his signed copy of Lance Henriksen's autobiography 
"Not Bad For A Human" on eBay. 

To check out the listing, click Here.


This is a first edition with artwork and signatures. 

Here's some further info:
Not Bad for a Human, is now available in a signed, limited edition. This edition is a 6 x 9 hardback with 374 pages of text and illustrations. Published by Bloody Pulp Books, it features original dust jacket art by Bill Sienkiewicz, and interior art by Mike Mignola, Tom Mandrake, Tim Bradstreet, Eric Powell and Ashley Wood. Every copy is autographed by Lance Henriksen and co-author Joseph Maddrey.

Only a few days left on the listing, so I suggest you grab it while you can. Be aware though, this is on eBay Germany, so if you live in the U.S., take into account that this is an International listing. 

To check it out, here's the link again:
Not Bad For A Human

2.21.2013

Quick Shot: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)


2011
Directed by: David Fincher
Category: Thriller

I held off on seeing this one up until recently. Even with David Fincher behind the camera, I just felt that it was just too soon for a remake considering the Swedish original only came out 2 years earlier. It was still fresh in my mind. I loved that original film. I thought it was a superbly crafted thriller that kept me guessing and hooked all the way till the end. I though Noomi Rapace was simply amazing as the titular character and as much as I loved the idea of David Fincher releasing a new film, I already knew all the twists and turns that this new version would essentially take so I felt no pull to want to revisit all that again.

On a slow and quiet Sunday afternoon, knowing full well this was a 3 hour movie, I decided to give it a shot, so here it goes.



The Good:
The production value on this thing is amazing. If David Fincher is directing something, you know it's going to be beautiful. The guy has such a unique vision that even when making a film about the birth of Facebook, he can make it look amazing. The cast was pretty outstanding too. Daniel Craig, looking considerably thinner than usual when he's not playing Bond, surprisingly had the bigger role here and pulls off the character flawlessly.
The opening credit sequence was pretty outstanding; so odd, unique and surreal. Almost like it belonged in a completely different movie. I actually found that opening credit sequence the most entertaining part of the film to be honest.

The Bad:
My reservations were dead on. It all felt much too soon for an America remake. Everything was so familiar and fresh that as beautiful as everything was to look at, I found it hard to enjoy it to its full potential knowing what was going to happen at any given moment.
Though Trent Reznor again teamed with David Fincher to do the score, I didn't find anything memorable about it, unlike his Oscar winning score for Fincher's The Social Network. Really nothing memorable about any of it.
Noomi Rapace is a hard act to follow, and as hard as she tries, Rooney Mara just doesn't rise up to that level of intensity. And I never once found her intimidating or threatening. She just always seemed so frail and fragile, like a tiny little waif who couldn't hurt a fly. Putting her in oversized clothes to make her look even smaller didn't help either.

Overall a very well made film with outstanding visuals, production value and performances all around. It was just felt so unnecessary. Though they did change a few key things here and there to keep it fresh, it was just too soon if you've already seen the original and in the end, when it's all over and said and done, it didn't offer anything new to justify a remake so soon. If you haven't seen the original, then I can see this being an outstanding thriller for the casual moviegoer. There's a lot to like about this if you don't already know what's going to happen.


Joshua Tree aka Army of One Blu-ray/DVD release!


I love this film!!!
As much as I love me some solid Dolph Lundgren action, I had only ever heard of this film in 2011. How it passed me by, I have no idea. But I have to say that this easily ranks as one of his best and one of my favorite Dolph Lundgren films.

For a quick recap of my review, click here.

I don't know the whole history or particular's of this film in great detail, but what I do know is that this came out in 1993, the year after Universal Soldier. And apparently this never got a theatrical release, so this kind of began his career in the DTV era. It's directed by legendary stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong (his one and only feature film to his credit as a director) and features an awesome amount of stunts and solid action. It appears to be known as Army of One only in the U.S., but as Joshua Tree everywhere else. Above all though this is a solid piece of Badass Cinema. The kind of action stunt film they haven't made in decades. The kind with real squibs, real stuntwork and not a single trace of CGI.

Shout! Factory is releasing this on February 26, 2013 under the International title Joshua Tree with a widescreen presentation (not available until this release) and a healthy dose of extras.

You can purchase this directly from their website here.

Here are the specs:

Sometimes one man is all it takes.

It’s high-caliber action from start to finish when exotic car runner Wellman Santee (Dolph Lundgren – The Expendables) goes gunning for his money and running for his life after his partner is killed during a botched heist. Sensational stunts and spectacular special effects push the action into overdrive as he captures a beautiful hostage (Kristian Alfonso) and takes off across the desert in a high-speed chase. Six thousand square miles of sand and dozens of turbo-charged super cars set the stage for a bloody, bullet-riddled showdown with a ruthless killer.


Bonus features:

  • Audio Commentary With Director Vic Armstrong And Producer Andy Armstrong
  • Alternate Ending With Commentary By Vic Armstrong And Andy Armstrong
  • New Interviews With Vic Armstrong, Andy Armstrong And Actors Dolph Lundgren And Kristian Alfonso
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Discs: 2Format: NTSC
    Color: Color
    Rating: RAspect Ratio: 2.35:1
    Language: English


    2.13.2013

    Bullet to the Head (2012)


























    2012
    Directed by: Walter Hill
    Category: Badass Cinema

    Being a huge fan of 80's and 90's action cinema, and basically growing up on the stuff for most of my life you can say I was excited about this one, as well as Schwarzenegger's recent return to the theaters literally just a few weeks before in two seemingly old school type of action films. So I hit up the theater last night with a buddy to check this new Stallone vehicle out. The trailers looked promising, and add to that my deep man-love for director Walter Hill and well, I just had to go see this. Mainly though, I think it was more of a show of support for this action legend after knowing that this as well as Schwarzenegger's recent film both bombed at the box office. Hell, The Last Stand isn't even playing in my local cinema anymore, just a few weeks after it premiered! So what did I think of Bullet to the Head?

    First and foremost, I need to be honest. I have conflicting feelings about this one. There were things I both liked and disliked about this film, though I think I'm leaning more towards the fact that I ultimately liked it more than disliked it.

    The good:
    This is a straight forward paint-by-numbers action film. I mean, it's as paint-by-numbers as it could possibly get. There's nothing overly exciting about this film and it doesn't possess any kind of insane action sequences, stunts, explosions or anything like that. But that's a good thing. With so many action films going so over the top to outdo each other in the action area or to offer something new, it was nice to see a simple action film without any special effects or outlandish action set pieces. More than anything, this felt like an old school action film. The kind they simply just don't make anymore.

    Stallone. Stallone is a fucking badass in this film. Tough, brutal, and one nasty son of a bitch. For me, that's what drove this baby home. Even with his old gravely voice voice-over narration, it just works. It's the kind of role I hadn't seen him play in a very long time and it was refreshing. He's not the hero. He's not superhuman. He's not playing for laughs. He's a bad guy caught up in a bad situation only made worse when his daughter is kidnapped as leverage. Then he get's pissed, which turns him into an even bigger asshole hell bent on revenge.

    Sarah Shahi, who plays Stallone's character's daughter, is HOT!

    Overall, solid throwback to old school action films.

    The Bad:
    As painful as it is for me to say this, director Walter Hill really let me down on this one. Ouch! Walter Hill is responsible for some of my favorite action films of the 80's with entries like The Warriors, Red Heat, Extreme Prejudice, Johnny Handsome and the two 48 Hours films. He hasn't directed a big budget film since 2002's disappointing Undisputed over 10 years ago and was lured back with this film. So naturally any filmgeek with a love of action could only get excited. The problem is that the Walter Hill that directed those earlier 80's gems with so much style and substance is gone. This doesn't look nor feel like a Walter Hill film. Back in the day, that was something you could easily say. You could easily identify a "Walter Hill film". Here, in all honesty, it looked like "any" no name director or newcomer could have helmed this thing. There are no identifiable trademarks and absolutely zero visual flare. Just to drive my point further, you could easily have assumed Renny Harlin directed this. No style, lots of hand held crap (no shaky-cam thank god), lots of quick jumpy edits between sequences and too much reliability on CGI blood. I did see a few authentic squibs here and there, a cool autopsy scene, and some genuinely cool headshots, but too much of an overabundance on CGI bullet hits.

    The fight scenes also gave me a headache. Too much hyper-kinetic quick-cut editing and hand-held camerawork made them so confusing and nausea inducing to really enjoy.
    All in all, it was just so disappointing that it didn't look as good as it could have. Considering an action legend was behind the camera.

    Sung Kang, who plays the cop that Stallone's hitman character teams up with was just so unimpressive and annoying at times. The annoying bits you can blame on the script, but as far as a presence goes, he just left a very unmemorable performance.

    With all my gripes about the visual quality and overdone CGI violence, this honestly could have easily gone Straight-to-DVD. That's the kind of film it looked like. And in all honesty, it probably could have made more money that way since people or action fans in general aren't willing to fork over $10 for movie ticket these days for films like this. 20 years ago, absolutely since prices were about half of what they are now for an evening ticket. But when you're on a budget, even $10 can be a lot for a film without a huge payoff.

    Final Analysis:
    Overall I liked it quite a bit. Stallone was a badass and I loved seeing him play this character up on the big screen. I wish it had looked a helluva lot better than it did though. That's my biggest gripe. I think a more "visual" impact would have greatly affected the overall outcome of this film. Not at the box office, but in terms of the experience. There were so many times I was squirming in my seat because I knew that if just a little more effort had been put into the look of a scene or sequence, it would have come off so much better and with much more of an impact.

    2.07.2013

    Chopping Mall (1986)


    1986
    Directed by: Jim Wynorski
    Category: Horror

    You know when you randomly pick a movie for whatever reason to watch? You know, it looks ridiculous and you're pretty sure it's going to be bad but maybe by some miracle it will fall into the "So Bad it's Good" category? Well this is that movie.

    Words cannot describe how amazing this movie is. I mean, they just can't. What about that title? Is that just not brilliant?! I was just totally unprepared at the high entertainment value this was going to unleash. Logically and realistically, it's a low budget horror film circa 1986. I even remember renting this with a buddy when we were about 11 or 12 back then when it first hit VHS and his mom not caring what the fuck we watched and digging that sex scene in the furniture store where one woman screams "You're the king!". Ahem, anyway.

    This has everything you'd want in a "So Bad it's Good" movie. Bad acting, bad 80's clothes!, ridiculous plot. But the thing about this is that it's all put together so well! Director Jim Wynorski is not known for turning out winners, but somehow the stars aligned at just the right time for this one because lo and behold, this thing looks shockingly impressive. Not spectacular or epic or anything like that, but for a low budget horror film it looks a lot better than it deserves to. It's ridiculously 80's setting only adds to it's charm. Add to that some pretty decent effects and just an all around fun vibe where it never slows down for more than a few minutes and it makes for the perfect film to watch with friends and a healthy dose of alcohol. This is "that" movie.

    Basic plot is as follows: A group of annoying 80's 20 something's who all work at a mall decide to throw a secret party after the mall closes for the night. Unfortunately for them, the new robots they installed for security go on the fritz and start killing them off one by one in bloody and gory fashion. All they have are the supplies at their disposal in the mall and their wits. They just need to make it through the night until the mall reopens in the morning. 

    Check out this awesome trailer from YouTube user themaybatatter. This is great. Re-cut with an awesome score makes this thing look so much more epic than it really is. Way cool. 



    Really fun film from beginning to end. Thankfully, this is very easy to find and very cheap, so I recommend you grab one ASAP and enjoy! 

    2.05.2013

    Lifeforce (Collector's Edition) Blu-ray/DVD coming in April!


    This is one I'm really excited about. One of director Tobe Hooper's less popular films from 1985, but one of my favorites from his filmography. Sure it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, is odd in some places and in all honesty, can be a mess, but it's about a hot naked vampire from space. What the Hell else do you need? And I'm not talking some quick boob action, I'm talking full on nudity and quite frequently from the insanely hot Mathilda May. Add to that Tobe Hooper's impressive visuals, the late great Dan O'Bannon (Alien, Return of the Living Dead, Total Recall) on writing duties and some outstanding special effects and you've got a fun film. Never really dug Steve Railsback in the lead because he just never seemed like leading man material and just seems out of place for most of the time, but that's a minor complaint.

    Shout! Factory is releasing this and I couldn't be more pleased. I've been loving there recent horror and sci-fi releases such as the recent releases of John Carpenter's They Live, Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch, all of which I own and are great editions chock full of extras and beautiful transfers. This is set to be released on April 30th, and if you pre-order now you get an exclusive 18"x24" newly designed  limited edition (300)poster. I've already got the date saved on my calendar!


    Here are the specs via Shout! Factory:

     SPECIAL OFFER: Order this directly from ShoutFactory.com and receive an exclusive 18"x24" poster featuring our newly commissioned artwork! Only 300 have been printed, so these are available while supplies last. 
    “If you've never seen this mind-reeling schlocko sci-fi spectacular, then hang on to your brains….Great fun.” – Time Out Film Guide

    From the director of Poltergeist and the co-writer of Alien comes a thrilling sci-fi adventure of explosive action and pulse-pounding suspense! With mind-blowing special effects by Academy Award® winner John Dykstra (1977 Best Visual Effects, Star Wars), Lifeforce is a gripping mélange of genres that’s “so bizarre, it’s fascinating” (Leonard Maltin)!

    A mission to investigate Halley's Comet discovers an even stranger phenomenon: an alien spacecraft! Following a deadly confrontation, the aliens arrive on Earth, where their seductive leader begins a terrifying campaign to drain the lifeforce of everyone she encounters. Her victims, in turn, continue the cycle, and soon the entire planet is in mortal danger. And when the mission's sole survivor (Steve Railsback – The Stunt Man) sets out to destroy her, he comes face to face with the most charming - and horrifying – being he's ever known. Will he be able to destroy the lovely vampiress...or will he become yet another victim of her fatal charm?


    Browse more frighteningly fun Scream Factory releases!


    Bundle Contains:
    • Lifeforce: Lifeforce [Collector's Edition]
    • Lifeforce: Lifeforce Poster
    Bonus Features: 


  • Both Theatrical & International Versions
  • Audio Commentary with Director Tobe Hooper
  • All New Retrospective with Cast & Crew including Star Steve Railsback, Director Tobe Hooper and others!
  • Original “Making-Of Lifeforce” Featurette
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • TV Spot
  • Still Gallery
  • And more to be announced!
  • Discs: 2Format: NTSC
    Color: Color
    Rating: RAspect Ratio: 2.35:1
    Language: English

    2.03.2013

    Coldfish (2010)


    2010
    Directed by: Shion Sono

    I know I'm going to probably get a ton of flack for this, but I just did not like this one. I will be honest though, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I felt it was misrepresented to me before I actually sat down to watch it. Like for instance, when I caught it on Netflix Instant, the description specifically stated that this was a gory shocker, and this was anything but. I found it slow, dull, and with the exception of one or two scenes, not gory at all. And it ran on for so long, I almost couldn't finish it because I was bored out of my mind. But like I said, when a friend and I had sat down to watch this, we was expecting something like the excellent and ultra violent I Saw The Devil. Instead what this seemed to be was more of a character study and played out more like a suspense thriller, but with insanely long stretches of nothing happening.

    I'm not at all familiar with this writer/director or any of his previous work, but I didn't really find anything remarkable or interesting about his style of filmmaking either. In some instances, if the movie sucks or just doesn't make any sense, if it's at least visually stunning then that will more often than not deserve a passing grade in my book. But not here. It's about as simple and straightforward as it could get, but of course suits the story well since this isn't a flashy kind of film in any way to begin with.Those are my two cents. Don't hate me!!

    Here's a synopsis via IMDB by Anonymous:
    When Syamoto's teenage daughter is caught stealing, a generous middle-aged man helps resolve the situation. The man and his wife offer to have Syamoto's troublesome daughter work at their fish store. Syamoto soon discovers the horrific truth of the seemingly perfect couple.

    2.02.2013

    Prison (Collector's Edition) Blu-Ray/DVD


    Renny Harlin's Prison (1988) is an underrated gem. Released in 1988, the same year he also made A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Prison is a visually impressive little seen film that flew under the radar. This was Harlin's first foray into American horror before he delved straight into action a few years later with films like Die Hard 2, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane , Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight. To be honest, he hasn't made a decent film since 1996, with the late 80's through the 90's being his best output, but I still hold out hope that the guy can once again deliver a solid action film. Yet, I'm cautious because I'm not digging the new style of filmmaking he's adopted lately and fear the the king of slow-mo who gave us these solid films is long gone.

    I love Prison. It's beautifully shot, atmospheric and with a healthy dose of decent effects. More than anything, you'll immediately notice that this thing looks beautiful. This was when Harlin had something to prove though so he went all out to make this thing look amazing and he certainly succeeds.
    You can check out my review from back in Sept. '11 here:
    http://robotgeekscultcinema.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-prison.html

    Prison is set to release in the U.S. on February 19, 2013
    I've been waiting many, many years for this to get an official release since all we've had up until now was a VHS and Laserdisc release, none in a proper aspect ratio. So once again Shout! Factory delivers another amazing release to add to their already impressive recent and upcoming releases. Finally we get a beautiful high def transfer but also a new documentary and a few other special features. Plus! If you pre-order, you get a limited edition poster!

    Here are the specs via Shout! Factory:




    FROM THE PRODUCER OF HALLOWEEN COMES A NEW FORCE OF EVIL

    Creedmore Prison becomes a supernatural battleground when the specter of Charlie Forsythe, a man executed for murder, returns seeking vengeance from the brutal guard, Ethan Sharpe, who was aware of his innocence. The lives of the inmates hang in the balance as Forsythe and Sharpe lock in demonic combat. Directed by Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Deep Blue Sea). Starring Viggo Mortensen (A History Of Violence, Eastern Promises), Chelsea Field (Dust Devil, The Dark Half) and Lane Smith (Red Dawn).

    Bundle Contains:
    • Prison: Prison [Collector's Edition]
    • Prison: Prison Poster
    Bonus Features: 
  • Audio Commentary with Director Renny Harlin
  • Hard Time: The Making of “Prison” – An all-new retrospective with Director Renny Harlin, Producer Irwin Yablans, Screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner, Actor Tom Everett, Stunt Coordinator Kane Hodder, Special Makeup Effects Creator John Carl Buechler, Executive Producer Charles Band, Composer Richard Band, Production Designer Philip Duffin, and Production Assistant Patrick Denver
  • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  • Poster & Still Gallery
  • Original First-Draft Screenplay (PDF format)
    Discs: 2Format: NTSC
    Color: Color
    Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
    Language: English
  • 2.01.2013

    Sudden Death (1995)


    1995
    Directed by: Peter Hyams
    Category: Badass Cinema

    Why oh why have I waited until now to finally see this film?!
    I honestly couldn't tell you. It's just one of those that passed me by for one reason or another. And the fact that it's not one of his better known films or biggest films is probably another, yet after seeing it I can't understand why. I mean, this film is straight up 100% certified badass, plain and simple with a high degree of rewatchability. For me anyway.

    I've always been a fan of director Peter Hyams. Outland, Timecop, Running Scared and Hell, even The Presidio and Stay Tuned are films I like very much. What I also like and admire greatly is that he's always his own Director of Photography. Something that's rarely ever done by the director himself. But of course, he's not always at the top of his game, and has made a few missteps along the way.

    Stylistically, this is one of Hyams better films. He keeps the film looking tight and clean and shows the guy is good at what he does. I couldn't help but think as I was watching this that he could certainly handle a Die Hard film or even one of the Lethal Weapons. I've always wondered why his career never got as big as it should have been. If anything, this and Timecop (another Van Damme collaboration) prove he's more than capable of handling the big stuff. I guess we'll never know. But hey, at least we have Sudden Death, one of the better "Die Hard on a......" clones to come out during this era. Do you remember this period? Speed was "Die Hard on a bus". Under Siege was "Die Hard on a ship". And so on and so on. So that would make this one "Die Hard in a hockey rink stadium". Speaking of which, I had read in Vern's Yippee Ki-Yay Moviegoer!: Writings on Bruce Willis, Badass Cinema and other important topics that this was actually supposed to be a Die Hard film at one point. I could see that. It certainly has a lot of the same elements and definitely has a lot of talent to make that happen. Van Damme is no Bruce Willis, but I thought he did fine as the "hero at the right place at the wrong time". Sure, he has much more dialogue in this one than he did in others around this time, so his delivery is not all that great, but who cares?
    What's interesting is that now Van Damme is making films for Peter Hyams son John Hyams, who has directed him now in 3 films with Universal Soldier: Regeneration, Dragon Eyes and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning.

    So I'm not going to bother with a synopsis or anything because like I said, it's basically "Die Hard in a hockey rink". Sure it's a tired formula by now, but it works. Plenty of suspense, plenty of action, plenty of fights and again, Van Damme delivering the goods, which is all you really want in any Van Damme flick. You've also got a solid supporting cast surrounding him, with the standout being Powers Boothe as the main villain and all around son of a bitch. I'm still surprised this hasn't gotten the recognition it deserves. I thoroughly enjoyed it and now consider it one of my favorites from his Golden Age. If you've never seen it, I strongly suggest giving it a chance. It's pretty solid. If you have but it's been a long while, give it another chance. I think you'll be as thoroughly impressed as I was. This was just badass.