Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

 

The Final Chapter is the 1984 entry in the Friday the 13th series. It was directed by Joseph Zito and starred Kimberly Beck, Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, Judie Aronson, and E. Erich Anderson. The film picks up immediately after the events of Part III, with a seemingly dead Jason being taken to the morgue. Of course, he is not dead; he escapes and returns to Crystal Lake, where a new group of teenagers has rented a house next to a family living on the lake. From there, the usual shenanigans ensue. It was originally intended to be the final movie in the series, but that clearly did not end up being the case. 

As with the other films, there are several different releases of this one. I have the Shout! factory version, which is a single-disc release. The extras on that one include two commentary tracks: one by Zito, screenwriter Barney Cohen, and editor Joel Goodman. The other is a fan commentary by Adam Green and Joe Lynch. There are also deleted scenes, a retrospective on the film filmed for the 25th Anniversary, the alternate ending, the trailer, and a stills gallery. 

Like the other films in the series, you know what you get. It is a low-budget film with relatively unknown actors (at least at the time). One thing it has going for it is that it was not a carbon copy of the first movie, as the first three films were. The acting and writing were still pretty bad, which is unfortunate given that it had the potential to have a much stronger story. If they had focused the story on the brother of one of Jason's victims hunting Jason, the plot would have been a lot stronger. The film definitely earns its R-rating, as there is a lot of violence and swearing, and some sexual content and nudity. Ultimately, for a low-budget horror film, it is okay. If you like the genre and the series, it is worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Friday the 13th Part 3

 

Friday the 13th Part 3 was the 1982 entry in the iconic horror franchise. It was directed by Steve Miner and starred Dana Kimmel, Paul Kratka, Tracie Savage, Jeffrey Rogers, Larry Zerner, and Richard Brooker. The film picks up directly after the events of Part 2 (Betsy Palmer, Ginny Field, John Furey, and Steve Daskewisz all appear via archived footage, but did not film new scenes for Part 3), with Jason going on another killing spree after recovering from his wounds. This is the film in which he dons the iconic hockey mask, and is the version of the character that permeates through the rest of the series. In this entry, a group of friends plans a vacation to Kimmel's character's family homestead on Crystal Lake, where she has not been since being attacked by a disfigured man in the woods (of course, Jason) two years prior.  

The blu-ray is a single-disc release that includes both the 2D and 3D versions of the film. The extras will again vary depending on which release you get. I have the Shout! Factory version, which was released in the limited-edition box set. That version also includes a commentary track featuring several cast members, a few making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, the theatrical trailer, one of the TV spots, and a stills gallery. 

The film follows almost exactly the same format as the first two. It starts slowly, then ramps up the action. Of course, most of the characters make very dumb decisions, which lead to Jason catching them. One thing I do like is that this version of Jason was not totally indestructible, although he was getting closer to that version. The movie does earn its R-rating, as there is a lot of violence (although not a ton of gore), swearing, and the obligatory nudity and sex scene. You know what you get with the movie. It is a B-level horror film that was never going to win an Academy Award. Ultimately, it is pretty much a carbon copy of the first two movies, just swapping out the victims. If you like the genre and can accept it for what it is, then it is worth checking out.  

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Friday the 13th Part 2

 

Friday the 13th Part 2 is the 1981 follow-up to the original 1980 hit film. It stars Amy Steel, John Furey, Kristen Baker, Lauren-Marie Taylor, and Stu Charno. Adrienne King and Besty Palmer also reprise their roles, although Palmer had more of a cameo appearance. 

The original intent was to do what John Carpenter had tried to do with Halloween III, and not make it a continuous story, but an anthology series with different movies tied to the Friday the 13th superstition. However, when the ending to the original movie was as well received as it was, they decided to continue the story centered around Jason. The story picks up two months after the events of the original film, with Alice trying to recover from her experience. Later, the film time-jumps five years to a new group of prospective camp counselors attending a school for camp counselors at a different camp near Crystal Lake, which has been shut down. From there, it becomes the typical slasher film that the series has become famous for. 

There are a few different versions of the blu-ray disc out there. I have the Shout! Factory version, which is a single-disc release that can be purchased individually or as part of the complete collection box set. The A/V quality is very good. The audio includes a 2.0 channel track that may not work on some sound systems. It does, however, also include a 5.1 lossless audio track that should work with a surround system, but you may have to change the audio setting once the film starts playing to hear it, even if you select it from the disc's main menu. The extras may vary depending on which edition you get, but most will include an interview with the author of the book "Inside Crystal Lake Memories", the second chapter of the Lost Tales from Camp Blood short, and a featurette on one of the horror conventions. Mine also includes a podcast interview with Amy Steel, the theatrical trailer, radio spots, and a couple of different stills galleries.  

The movie is very much a carbon copy of the first film. Most of the action happens in the second half, and the third act has the most going on. You pretty much know what you get with these films: the acting and writing will be okay, but not stellar; there will be some gratuitous nudity and a lot of violence. This version of Jason is definitely not who we get in later films when he is basically unstoppable and wears the hockey mask. Ultimately, if you like horror movies and you enjoyed the first film, you will probably like this one (even though there is not much new about this one other than who the killer is). It does, however, set up what will come in the later films, so it is worth watching. 

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Friday The 13th

 

Friday the 13th is the 1980 horror film directed by Sean S. Cunningham and written by Victor Miller. The film stars Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, Kevin Bacon, Harry Crosby, and Laurie Bartram. The supporting cast includes Mark Nelson, Peter Brouwer, and Walt Gorney.

The plot involves Camp Crystal Lake reopening after being closed for several years. A group of counselors arrives early to get the camp ready for the kids, despite warnings from locals that the camp should remain closed. As they work to get everything ready, the counselors start being killed off one by one. I will not go into too much detail about the story for those who have not seen it, since the identity of the killer is supposed to be part of the mystery.

There have been several Blu-Ray releases of the film, so the features will vary depending on which edition you get. I have the deluxe box set released by Shout Factory, which includes all 10 original films, along with Freddy vs. Jason and the 2009 remake. In that collection, the first film is a two-disc set, with both discs in a keep case inside the decorative box. One disc contains the theatrical cut, while the other contains the uncut version. Both versions run just over an hour and a half, with the uncut version running only slightly longer. There are no substantive differences in the story between the two cuts, as the additional footage mostly extends some of the gore. The A/V quality is very good, especially considering the age of the film and the fact that it was a very low-budget movie when it was released. There are bonus features on both discs. The theatrical disc includes the US and international trailers, TV and radio spots, and two different stills galleries, one with pictures from the film and the other with posters and promotional material. On the uncut version, there is an audio commentary on the film which includes the director, writer, and members of the cast and crew, a short film set in the Friday the 13th universe, a featurette on the director, a reunion panel discussion including the director, writer, and some members of the cast and crew, and fan fiction articles that can be accessed if you put the disc in a computer's CD drive. 

The film definitely feels dated. It was a low-budget 1980s movie, and it very much looks and feels like one. It was made to capitalize on the popularity of Halloween, and Miller admits in the bonus content that he was basically told to write a script that ripped off Halloween. It is certainly not as good as Halloween, and parts of the writing and effects are extremely cheesy by today's standards. I also think the script would have been better if the killer had been shown interacting with the group earlier in the movie. The film tries to use misdirection to make you think the killer could be someone else, but once you actually see the killer, you know pretty much immediately. It does earn its R-rating, with some gore (although not as much as many of today's horror movies), swearing, sexual content, and brief nudity. It will always be notable for launching the franchise and for being one of Kevin Bacon's early films. Ultimately, even with its flaws, it is an iconic horror film that helped define 80s horror movies and is worth watching if you are a fan of the genre.

Book Review: The Gunslinger (Dark Tower #1)

 

The Gunslinger, originally published in 1982, is the first in the series of 8 novels in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. It was revised and updated in 2003 to add material that fleshed out and strengthened the novel's storyline. It is hard to describe the exact genre of the story as it mixes dark fantasy, sci-fi, horror, western, and dystopian themes. King took inspiration for the story from The Lord of the Rings, the Arthurian legends, and westerns starring Clint Eastwood. In it, the main character is a member of a knightly order known as gunslingers named Roland Deschain. He lives in a world in a parallel universe, similar to the Old West, yet incorporating magical and supernatural elements. In the novel, Roland is chasing a mysterious figure known as "the man in black" while searching for a structure known as The Dark Tower.

The paperback version of the expanded edition is just under 240 pages. Even though it has a relatively low page count, it is a bit slow to read and can be hard to follow at times. The reader is just dropped into a story without much initial setup. Roland is traveling through a desert, meeting various characters along the way. There are hints of multiple universes, but the book does not really explore that aspect. Ultimately, this very much feels like it is setting up a larger story. If this were the only book in the series, it would not be a must-read. Just an okay fantasy novel. However, as the story very much expands and evolves, if you are a fan of fantasy, horror, westerns, and dystopian novels, it is worth reading. 

DVD/Movie Review: Sleepy Hollow

 

Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 horror film starring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, and Christopher Walken. This version is an adaptation of the story written and directed by Tim Burton (post his departure from the Batman movies). Johnny Depp plays Ichabod Crane, and Christina Ricci plays Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of the richest man in Sleepy Hollow, whose residents are being picked off by The Headless Horesman (played by Christopher Walken and Ray Park performing the stunts). The supporting cast includes Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Ian McDiramand, Christopher Lee (yes, Palpatine, Darth Maul, and Count Dooku in the same non-Star Wars movie), and Michael Gough (among others).

The DVD release had an okay video transfer. The extras included deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes material, and a commentary track by Tim Burton. Overall, a good amount of material for those who like bonus content.

The movie was excellent, with great acting and writing. It was an interesting choice to make Crane as eccentric as he was in the story, but not as goofy looking as he was written in the book (although Depp was willing to wear prosthetics). The love story between Depp and Ricci's characters was a bit creepy given their age difference, but there were no actual love/sex scenes between the two. The movie is very violent and gory (given the beheadings), so it is definitely not appropriate for young kids. Overall, however, it is a great adaptation of the story that is worth watching.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: The Cloverfield Paradox

 

The Cloverfield Paradox is a 2018 horror/sci-fi/thriller in the Cloverfield movie franchise. It is the third film in the franchise and, as of this writing, the most recent movie, following 2008's Cloverfield and 2016's 10 Cloverfield Lane. It was produced by J.J. Abrams and Lindsey Weber and directed by Julius Onah. It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris O'Dowd, David Oyelowo, Zhang Ziyi, Daniel Bruhl, and Aksel Hennie. Donal Logue has a cameo appearance, and Simon Pegg and Greg Grunberg make voice appearances. 

The film is set in 2028, when Earth is at the peak of an energy crisis that threatens the entire human race. As a result, several countries have come together to build and test a particle accelerator aboard the Cloverfield space station that, if it works, can solve the world's energy crisis. After the test, the astronauts aboard the station discover that Earth has seemingly vanished and must figure out a way to get back. There are several twists and turns in the story, and it is primarily a thriller more than it is a monster movie (somewhat like 10 Cloverfield Lane). It does have subtle ties to the other films and does provide an explanation for the appearances of the monsters in those movies, even though the events of this movie are set in the future.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is outstanding, and the movie looks and sounds great in the HD format. There is about half an hour of making-of and behind-the-scenes content, but unlike the prior film, there is no commentary track on this one. 

Ultimately, the movie is good, but if you are expecting a direct sequel to the other two movies that wraps everything up in a nice bow, or if you are expecting a bunch of monsters, this is not it. That said, if you are a fan of sci-fi thrillers and enjoy the other films in the Cloverfield universe, this is worth watching.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane

 

10 Cloverfield Lane is a 2016 thriller/horror movie. It stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr. It was directed by Dan Trachtenberg and produced by J.J. Abrams. It is set in the same universe as the original 2008 film, Cloverfield, but it is a stand-alone film and not a direct sequel to the first movie. In it, a woman named Michelle (Winstead) is shown leaving her fiancé (voiced by Bradley Cooper). As she is heading out of town, her car is hit by a truck, and she wakes up in a room chained to a wall. She is told by a man named Howard, who is a doomsday prepper, that there has been an attack of some kind outside and that the air outside his bunker is uninhabitable. Most of the rest of the movie involves Michelle, Howard, and a man named Emmitt's (played by Gallagher) life in the bunker while Michelle tries to find out what is going on outside. The final act of the story becomes a monster movie, much like the original film. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a standard blu-ray disc. The UHD disc has the movie, and the regular blu-ray disc has the movie and the bonus content. The bonus content includes several featurettes that can be played simultaneously or individually. The total run time for the bonus content is just under 35 minutes, and the featurettes include interviews with the cast and crew members, touching on topics such as the movie's production, score, and special effects.

The movie is a good entry in the Cloverfield universe. Again, it is not a direct sequel to the first movie. It is set in Louisiana and only tangentially references an attack on the East Coast. It is never made clear if that is the same attack that we saw in the original film. This one is primarily a psychological thriller and does not have as much action as the first movie does, although it does have some action. Goodman plays a character who is somewhat unusual and may or may not be mentally unstable and possibly evil. It is a very different role for Goodman, who is mainly known for his comedic roles. Winstead and Gallagher are also wonderful in their respective roles, but Goodman really carries the film. The fact that most of the movie is set in a very confined space actually adds to the suspense. The ending was somewhat controversial when the movie was released, but it was actually foreshadowed throughout the film. While I cannot say that everyone who liked the original movie will like or love this one, if you are a fan of the horror and/or thriller genres, you will probably enjoy this one. It is well-written and very well-acted, and is absolutely worth the time to watch.

4K-UHD/Movie Review: Cloverfield

 

Cloverfield is a 2008 horror film produced and conceived by J.J. Abrams (it was one of the first movies produced by his production company, Bad Robot), written by Drew Goddard, and directed by Matt Reeves. It starred Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman (now Anabelle), Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Lizzy Caplan, and Mike Vogel. It is a monster movie, heavily influenced by the old Godzilla movies, that involves a creature that destroys New York on the night of a going-away party for Stahl-David's character, Rob Hawkins. The premise of the movie is that footage from a personal camcorder is recovered in what is left of Central Park. The tape begins with footage of Rob and his girlfriend Beth (played by Yustman) spending a day together, and is intercut with footage of the day of the party, the events of the party, and the creature's destruction of the city. T.J. Miller's character, Hud, is tasked with recording the party and encouraging the partygoers to film farewell messages for Rob. The events of the film are mostly shown from the point of view of what Hud is filming and narrating. 

The 4K set is a two-disc set, containing a UHD disc and a standard Blu-ray disc. It also has a code to redeem a digital version of the film. There are a couple of different 4K releases, including a steelbook edition, each of which has the same content. The UHD disc only includes the film, while the regular Blu-ray disc contains the film and all the bonus content. The extras include a director's commentary track by Matt Reeves, a gag reel, a making-of documentary, featurettes on the visual effects and creating the creature, a few deleted scenes, and a couple of alternate endings. The film can also be played in an investigation mode, where facts about the characters and the events in the movie are displayed while the movie plays. Reeve's commentary had a lot of interesting information about the production process. 

The movie is good, but different. It was a low-budget film that was intentionally made to appear like a home movie, so the camera shakes a lot and does not always capture everything that is happening. The best way I can describe it is a cross between Godzilla and The Blair Witch Project. While the A/V quality is excellent and it looks wonderful in UHD, it has a distinctly different look and feel compared to major blockbuster movies. The film is very short (under an hour and a half, with the credits), which was almost necessary given the way the movie was filmed. It is well-written and acted, and the cast, despite being filled with young, relatively unknown actors, does a great job in their respective roles. It is much more suspenseful than it is gory, and for most of the film, the creature is shown only very fleetingly. That said, there is some violent content and a lot of swearing, so it is not suitable for young kids. If you're a fan of the horror genre, especially monster movies, this is worth watching. If you have a physical media collection, it's also worth adding to it. 

4K-UHD/Movie Review: Alien Romulus

 

Alien Romulus is a 2024 Sci-Fi/horror film co-written and directed by Fede Alvarez. It is (as of this writing) the newest entry in the Alien franchise of films, set in the year 2142 between the original 1979 movie Alien (set in 2122) and the 1986 movie Aliens (set in 2179). It stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Arche Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. In it, a group of young colonists living and working on the planet LV-410 steals a hauler with the intent to raid an abandoned space station so they can steal the cryostasis equipment and get to a planet called Yvaga III, which is not controlled by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. Little do they know, the corporation had recovered a cocoon from the wreckage of the Nostromo that contained the xenomorph that killed the crew of the Nostromo, brought it aboard the station, and began reverse engineering the facehuggers. Of course, the station's crew were all killed, and there are Aliens in the "Romulus" module of the station, which the group inadvertently releases when they attempt to steal the cryostasis equipment. Then, it becomes a monster-chase movie similar to the other films in the franchise. 

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The A/V quality of the UHD version of the movie is excellent and is reference quality (or near reference quality) for both the audio and video. All the extras are included on the regular Blu-Ray disc. Those include about 11 minutes of deleted scenes, about 35 minutes of behind-the-scenes material, and a conversation between Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott (who was an executive producer on the film). In total, there are just under an hour of extras. There is no director's commentary track on the film, which would have been nice given how big a fan Alvarez is of the franchise and how many easter eggs he put in the movie to tie it to Alien and Aliens. 

Ultimately, the movie is an excellent return to the franchise. It is well-written and acted. It focuses on the franchise's horror/monster movie roots but expands the storyline to give more detail into the Weyland corporation's plans for the creatures. As I said above, Alvarez is a huge fan of the franchise and included many easter eggs and callbacks to the prior movies, especially Alien, including a way to posthumously use Ian Holm's likeness for the Android Rook, which is an identical model to Ash from the original movie, whom the group encounters on the station. It also ties the film to the colony aspect introduced in Aliens, giving a perspective of what it was like for the kids living in those colonies. It also incorporates aspects from the prequel films Prometheus and Alien Covenant. Given the 30+ year gap between the events of Romulus and Aliens, this movie could have multiple sequels down the line. However, even as a standalone film in the franchise, it is absolutely worth watching. 

4k-UHD/Movie Review: IT: Chapter Two

 

IT: Chapter Two is the 2019 sequel to 2017's IT. It is the second part of the adaptation of Stephen King's novel IT. In this movie, the adult versions of the children who vanquished IT/Pennywise in the first movie are introduced into the story. The film stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, and Bill Skarsgard, reprising his role as Pennywise from the first movie. 

This movie is a double-edged sword because it allows for using well-known actors (Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, etc.) and more violent and gory imagery than in the first movie. Still, it is (in my opinion) the weaker part of the story. This is partly because they have to reintroduce and develop the characters as adults and essentially have them go through the same horrors with Pennywise until they do (mostly) the same thing in the final confrontation with him as they did as kids. That said, the movie does add new elements, so it is not just a total carbon copy of the first movie. It is also great to see the young actors alongside their older counterparts in different scenes. Bill Skarsgaard delivers another wonderful performance as Pennywise, this time with part of it being done via motion capture, as used in movies like Lord of the Rings, Avatar, the new Star Wars movies, etc. Steven King also has a cameo as the mean shopowner Bill repurchases his bike from.

The 4K set is a three-disc set with a UHD disc and two regular Blu-Ray discs. The movie looks and sounds excellent in UHD. The UHD disc just has the film and the commentary track if you want to listen to it. Then, there are two regular blu-ray discs, one with just the movie and one with all the extras (over an hour's worth). Those include chapters 1 and 2 of making-of and behind-the-scenes material, the first either taking a lot from or reusing the same feature that was an extra on the release for the first movie and the second new for the second movie. They are the longest of the bonus material. Then, there are a few shorter features. A very good amount for those who still like getting the physical disc releases.

While I cannot say everyone will love the movie, it did a good job of wrapping up the story. Of course, it is much different than the TV miniseries done in the 1990s, and even with a nearly three-hour running time, it still could not incorporate everything from the book. It is worth checking out if you can accept those things about it.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Aliens

 

Aliens is a 1986 Sci-Fi action/adventure/horror film written and directed by James Cameron as a sequel to the 1979 Ridley Scott film Alien. It stars Sigourney Weaver (reprising her role as Ripley from Alien), Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Paul Reiser, Al Matthews, Mark Rolston, and William Hope. The movie is set 57 years after the events of Alien. At the beginning of the film, Ripley's spacecraft is discovered with her and Jones the cat still in stasis. We learn that the exomoon LV-426 has been colonized by a terraforming colony with no reports of hostile aliens. When Earth loses contact with the colony, Ripley is asked by a representative of the Weyland Corporation named Carter Burke (played by Reiser) to act as a consultant for a group of Marines sent to investigate the loss of communication. Once they arrive on the moon, they find the colony destroyed and evidence of an attack.

The 4k set is a three-disc set containing a UHD disc and two regular Blu-Rays. The UHD disc and one of the regular Blu-Rays just include the two versions of the movie (the theatrical edition and the 1990 remastered expanded edition). There are commentary tracks on each version of the movie by Cameron and members of the cast and crew. Some of the people providing commentary were recorded together, and some were recorded on their own, so the commentary jumps between conversations. The second regular Blu-Ray disc contains bonus features. The bonus disc has over four hours of extras. The most extensive is a three-hour-long making-of documentary (that can be watched in individual segments or in a play-all mode) that includes interviews with the cast and crew from the time the movie was being made, along with interviews made later on. There is also a discussion with Jim Cameron that was made very recently. Finally, there are some stills galleries, trailers, and TV spots.

Ultimately, the movie is very good, with a lot of action and suspense. The longer version of the film adds about 20 minutes of additional footage, mostly at the beginning of the movie before the team arrives on LV-426, which adds a bit more context for Ripley's motivations. The bonus content and commentary tracks provide a lot of interesting information, including the contentious filming process (Cameron, who has a reputation for being hard to work with anyway, butted heads with much of the initial crew that was forced upon him by Pinewood studio), how Weaver ended up getting a massive payday because she was not signed until after the script (which was centered around the Ripley character) was written, and how Cameron was only allowed to direct the movie after The Terminator was a hit. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is good. This movie looks grainier than many of Cameron's other 4k restorations because of how the movie was shot. Cameron notoriously hates film grain and uses a lot of digital noise reduction to make his older movies look like they were shot digitally with today's cameras, which some people hate. But because of the equipment they used to film Aliens, some of the grain is left in (although it is much less grainy than the VHS or original DVD release). Since CGI was not a thing back in 1986, in the UHD format, you can definitely tell when models or matte paintings were being used to create effects, and some of the effects do look a bit cheesy. Even so, the movie is still very enjoyable and well worth the time to watch.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Hatchet

 

Hatchet is a horror/comedy movie from 2006 written and directed by Adam Green and starring Joel David Moore, Tamara Feldman, Don Richmond, and Mercedes McNab. It also features horror icons Kane Holder, Robert Englund, and Tony Todd. It is a low-budget, independent horror movie with a lot of comedy mixed in. It is, in part, an homage to the 1980s horror films like Friday The 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Candyman, etc., and in part a comedic parody of those movies. In fact, the film touts Kane Hodder (who played Jason in at least one of the Friday the 13th movies) as the killer and Robert Englund and Tony Todd in smaller roles. Despite being a low-budget movie, it includes several recognizable character actors, including Richard Riehle, Joel David Moore (from Bones and Avatar), and Mercedes McNab (from Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel).

The story is that a deformed killer named Victor Crawley, who lives in the swamps of Louisiana, kills anyone who comes into the woods where his cabin, which was burned with him in it when he was a kid, is. There is definitely a big original Friday the 13th feel to the movie, but it is not a total rip-off of that story. It is very gory, but not in a realistic way, like the saw movies where it looks like something that can actually happen. This is more people getting their arms ripped off, being ripped in half, and the like. There is also some nudity, which is a total spoof on the Girls Gone Wild flashing situations, but not really any sex scenes.

For those who get the blu-ray, the transfer is okay, but certainly not as high-end and high-quality as the big-budget movies get. The extras include about an hour and fourteen minutes (almost as long as the movie) worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, a gag reel, and the theatrical trailer. A lot, especially since movies like this, when they do get physical releases, tend to not have any bonus material at all.

This is definitely not a movie that will appeal to everyone. But, if you are a fan of low-budget, independent horror movies that do not take themselves too seriously, this is worth a look.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Embrace of the Vampire (2013)

 

Embrace of the Vampire is a 2013 horror film starring Sharon Hinnendael, Tiio Horn, C.C. Sheffield, Chelsea Reist, and Victor Webster. It is a remake of the mid-90s movie of the same name starring Alyssa Milano. The original movie was a decent B-level movie, and this, I would say, is a decent C-level movie. While it shares the name of the original, it is not a shot-for-shot remake and does tell its own story. In this version, Sharon Hinnendael plays Charlotte, a university freshman on a fencing scholarship. She starts having weird dreams and visions and blacking out randomly. She learns she is being stalked by a Vampire who wants to use her to become human. The movie also keeps the Vampire's identity hidden for a while and tries to get you to wonder who it is, as opposed to being upfront about it like the original movie was. And Charlotte never really does a "bad girl" transformation like Milano's character did in the original movie. There is more sex and violence in this version than in the original, and the special effects are much better. Also, the movie is made up exclusively of unknown and lesser-known actors and actresses, which does not really hurt the movie but does not help it either.

The Blu-Ray release is very bare-bones. It does include some previews before the menu loads and then just the movie itself. There are no bonus materials or extras specific to the film. Overall, if you do not expect the movie to be anything more than it is, basically an independent horror movie with no star power in the cast, then it is okay. If you are expecting anything more than that, you will be sorely disappointed. It is definitely not what I would call a must-see either way.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Alien

 

Alien is the 1979 horror/action film directed by Ridley Scott that started the Alien franchise. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skeritt, Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Stanton, and Yaphet Kotto. The story involves the crew of a space tug called the Nostromo being awakened from suspended animation while returning to Earth by the ship's computer when a transmission from a nearby moon is detected. The crew is tasked with investigating the source of the transmission, which turns out to be a large spaceship with a dead alien with a hole in its chest. While investigating the ship, one of the crew members is attacked by a creature that ends up being brought aboard the ship. From there, it becomes a fairly standard monster/chase movie.

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc.  The 4k set was released in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of the film. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is outstanding. While the film does retain some grain and noise from the transfer, the movie looks better than it has on any prior physical media release. The extras (which are included on the UHD disc), however, are limited. There are two different versions of the movie, the Director's Cut and the theatrical version. There are commentary tracks on each version of the movie. On the Director's Cut, there is a commentary track that included Scott and all of the crew members that was recorded in 2003. The commentary track on the theatrical version was recorded by Scott in 1999. Then, you can watch the theatrical version of the movie with two different scores. One is the theatrical isolated score, and the other is Jerry Goldsmith's original score, which was heavily changed for the movie's release. Then, there are a handful of deleted and extended scenes. If you own the Alien Quadrilogy on DVD or Blu-Ray, that set has a lot of extras that were not transferred over to this release. So, if you are a person who is a fan of bonus content, you will want to keep that set. Ultimately, the movie is good but dated (as the newer movies in the franchise have proven). The physical release is very good (aside from the fact that not all the prior bonus content was included) and is definitely worth the pickup.  

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Doctor Sleep

 

Doctor Sleep is a 2019 sequel to The Shining, starring Rebecca Ferguson, Ewan McGregor, Kyliegh Curran, Jacob Tremblay, Emily Alyn Lind,  Zahn McClarnon, Bruce Greenwood, Carl Lumbly, and Alex Essoe. It tells the story of the now-adult Danny Torrance, played by Ewan McGregor, who is still dealing with the aftermath of what happened at The Overlook Hotel. Rebecca Ferguson plays Rose Hat, the leader of a group called the True Knot, who are comprised of people with The Shine, who "eat" the shine of those they kill (primarily kids). Kyliegh Curran plays Abra, a young girl with a powerful "shine" whom the True Knot crew wants to find and Danny is trying to protect.

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The 4k disc has the theatrical version of the movie and all of the extras. The regular Blu-Ray includes the director's cut of the movie. It looks and sounds great in the UHD format. The movie stays faithful to Kubrick's version of The Shining, which Stephen King really disliked, but also incorporates the ending of the book version of The Shining (having Danny take over Jack's role at the end of the book) while fighting Rose Hat. There is about 45 minutes worth of behind-the-scenes and making-of material included as extras. It's not a ton of bonus content, but what was included was good. Overall, the movie is excellent. It is very violent, and there is some nudity, so it earns the R-rating. Ferguson dominates nearly every scene she is in, and McGregor does a great job playing the adult version of Danny. Kyliegh Curran does a wonderful job as the child lead in this movie, and if there are more stories to be told of her character, she would do a great job. It is definitely worth checking out.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: The Shining

 

The Shining is a 1980 thriller/horror film starring Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duval, and Danny Lloyd. Scatman Crothers, Joe Turkel, and Phillip Stone play the major supporting characters. It is, of course, the iconic Stanley Kubrick movie, which heavily adapted Stephen King's novel (which apparently King either disliked immensely or outright hated) of the same name. It stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, a writer who agrees to become the winter caretaker of The Overlook Hotel on the side of a mountain in Colorado. He moves there with his wife Wendy, played by Shelly Duvall, and son Danny, played by Danny Lloyd. Both Jack and his son have "The Shining" which allows them to see ghosts and other, disturbing, imagery. Over time, Jack is driven crazy by evil living in the hotel.

The movie definitely does not follow the novel to a tee, which may upset fans of the novel as it did King. I do tend to agree with King that his interpretation of Jack as a good guy who slowly devolves over the course of time is not really borne out in the movie. Nicholson never really gives off a vibe that he is a "good" person, and about 45 minutes into a two and a half hour movie, he is already going nuts. Duvall's character was not exactly written as a strong character as she was in the book, and Kubrick totally changed the ending. That said, I do think Kubrick did a perfect job with his interpretation of the story and got great performances from all the characters, including Danny Lloyd, who did a great job for being so young. Nicholson nailed the "nuts" Jack Torrance and you totally could buy that he was off the rails, even if he did not have the kind of progression the character in the book did.

The 4k set is a two-disc set containing a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The A/V quality in UHD is outstanding, especially the visuals at the beginning of the movie on the drive to the hotel and the exterior shots of the hotel. Most of the extras are on the regular Blu-Ray disc. The audio commentary track on the movie by one of the camera operators and Kubrick's biographer is included on both the UHD disc and the regular Blu-Ray disc. The remaining extras include a making-of documentary, which was filmed on the set by Kubrick's daughter, and a featurette on the composer who discusses the music used to score the film. There is a lot of good bonus content, but it does not include the theatrical trailer, which was included in the original DVD release.

Overall, I cannot say that the movie is for everyone. It is very violent, has a lot of swearing and some nudity in it. So, if that turns you off to a movie, then don't even think about this. Also, those who are huge fans of the book may not like Kubrick's adaptation. But, if you can look beyond those things, and are a fan of horror movies, especially those that do not involve an unstoppable killer, this is definitely worth checking out.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Halloween (2018)

 

This version of Halloween, released in 2018, starred Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, and Nick Castle. It was written by David Gordon Green, Jeff Fradley, and Danny McBride, mostly known for the comedy genre, directed by David Gordon Green. It also brought John Carpenter back into the fold as executive producer and co-composer. This sequel is a complete reboot of the series, acknowledging that only the original movie existed, and is almost a "what if" scenario, presenting the scenario of what if Michael had been caught at the end of the first movie and held in Smith's Grove for 40 years. Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode and is also an executive producer. Of course, her character was killed off in Halloween 8, hence the need for a total reboot. In this version, Laurie is a basket-case who is estranged from her daughter ( played by Judy Greer) and granddaughter (played by Andi Matichak). She has been readying herself for 40 years for Michael to return. She lives alone in the woods in what can only be described as a compound with lots of surveillance and guns. Curtis does a great job with this version of the character and does a believable portrayal of what she would be like if she never moved on from the events of that night. 

Any fan of the Halloween franchise knows that the various sequels have ranged from good to decent to absolute garbage. And, of course, there was the sequel that wasn't Halloween 3. I think everyone has slightly different ideas about which sequels fall into what categories, but for me, Halloween 6 and 8 fall into the absolute garbage category (although I think 6 had some potential as a story, it was just executed horribly and suffered massive rewrites and the death of Donald Pleasance), and Halloween 4 and H20 fall within the excellent category. Die-hard Halloween nerds will know that while Carpenter's name was included on many of the other sequels, he never had anything to do with them and was just getting royalty rights. He famously never wanted the movie to go any farther than the first one, and if there was going to be a franchise, he wanted it to be like Season of the Witch, without the Michael Myers character.
  
The 4k set is a two-disc set that includes a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The UHD has both the movie and the extras, so the regular Blu-Ray disc is extraneous. The extras include about 12 minutes of deleted scenes and several short behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes. The bonus content amounts to around a half hour to 45 minutes worth of material. One thing that was not included as an extra, which would have been nice, is a commentary track on the movie. I would have liked to hear the writers, director, Curtis, and Carpenter provide commentary on the movie. But what was included was very good.  While the movie does pretend that the other sequels and remakes never existed, it does have many easter eggs that pay homage to the original film and some things that were clearly inspired by the other sequels, including the movie's last shot. It could have worked as an end to the franchise, but as most are likely aware, it ended up spawning two additional movies. While I cannot say that everyone, including fans of the franchise, will like or love this version, it is better than most of the other sequels and is worth the time to watch.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: A Quiet Place

 

A Quiet Place is a 2018 film with a twist on movies with themes of unseen monsters, alien invasions, etc. The twist is that the monsters in this movie are blind but have super hearing and kill anything that makes noise. The movie stars John Krasinski (who wrote the screenplay and directed the film), his real-life wife Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds, playing members of a family in what is essentially a post-apocalyptic world in which many humans and animals have been killed. Those who have survived have to be perfectly quiet, communicate via sign language, and can only talk if they are near something that is making more noise than them.

It is a very different movie, especially as a horror movie, because there is minimal sound. Of course, sound is critical to the thrills in most horror movies, and in this one, it is the absence of sound, including background sounds. Even the soundtrack is very understated. The movie pulls off what most TV shows cannot, namely, having little to no dialog between the actors yet still managing to tell a compelling story.

The 4k set is a two-disc set with a UHD  disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The movie looks great in the UHD format. What the film lacks in sound, it makes up for in visuals and special effects. The UHD disc has just the movie, and then there are about 35 minutes (give or take) of behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes on the regular Blu-Ray. Overall, the film is well written, very well acted, and tells a unique story on an old theme of a creature-based horror movie. It is definitely worth checking out.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: The Invisible Man

 

The Invisible Man is a 2020 horror/thriller. It is an updated version of the Invisible Man story, which has undergone several different on-screen iterations. It stars Elisabeth Moss (from Mad Men and The Handmaid's Tale), Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Michael Dorman, and Oliver Jackson Cohen. It was directed by Leigh Whannell, a writer on some of the movies in the Saw franchise. The story involves a woman leaving her abusive boyfriend while he stalks and terrorizes her. The invisibility part comes in with him being an optics expert who builds a suit that allows him to appear invisible. From there, it is a decent thriller. While it does have some twists and turns, the ending is predictable if you pay attention all the way through. It is violent and bloody in a couple of parts, but it is not anywhere near as gory as the Saw movies, which often went overboard on the gore.

The 4k set is a two-disc set with a UHD disc and a regular Blu-Ray disc. The movie looks and sounds great in the UHD format. There are some beautiful views of Australia (where the film was shot), which doubled for San Francisco (where it was set). The extras are all included on the UHD disc, including deleted scenes, a few behind-the-scenes features, and a director's commentary. Outside the commentary track, the bonus features amount to about a half hour's worth of material. What was included was good, but it was not extensive. Overall, the movie is good but not great. It is well-acted, and the writing is good, even if a bit predictable. It is not an award-winner by any means (not that it tries to be), but it is worth checking out if you are looking for a suspense movie to watch to kill a couple of hours.