Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hannibal: Season 2

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from season one, but no major giveaways from season two+++

The second season of Hannibal starts off with a bang, actually foreshadowing a portion of the events that will end the season, then it picks up shortly after Will's (Hugh Dancy) arrest for the murder of Abigail Hobbs, having been framed by Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen). The season cherry-picks elements from the various novels including Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs and puts twists on them. For example, Will is the one in custody and consulting with the FBI. Of course, he is trying to figure out a way to prove his innocence. This season introduces Mason Verger and his sister Margot and puts a twist on that storyline. The crux of the plot in season two is whether, and when the FBI will find out that Lecter is really the Chesapeake Ripper. Will is convinced of it and tries to get Crawford (Lawrence Fishburne) to figure it out predicting that Lecter would be throwing a dinner party after he has killed enough people to get fresh meat. The season again ends on a major cliffhanger going into season three (which was not assured when the season finale was filmed).

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the A/V quality is stunning. The visuals are gory but amazing and it is really like a movie experience. The extras include commentary tracks on multiple episodes (seven of the thirteen, with one episode getting two different commentary tracks). The commentaries usually include the series creator Bryan Fuller and various members of the cast and crew. Then, there is an almost 90-minute feature on the making of episode five, three shorter behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes that generally discuss the making the entire season, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and nine episodes of "post mortem" in which Scott Thompson who plays Jimmy Price interviews various members of the cast. The nine episodes have a total run time of about 42 minutes. So, there are a ton of extras if you like watching them.

Overall, the show is great. It is very violent and bloody and definitely pushed the bounds of what was appropriate for network tv. If you are a fan of Fuller's other cult following shows like Wonderfalls and Pushing Daises, you will probably like this. Also, I think the show did a good job putting a spin on Harris' novels and so if you enjoyed the books, you will probably like the series too. It is different from the Anthony Hopkins-led movies, and Mads Mikkelsen definitely does not try to copy Hopkins, making his version of Lecter his own. The supporting and recurring cast is great and filled with recognizable stars like Gillian Anderson, Raúl Esparza, Cynthia Nixon, Eddie Izzard, Anna Chlumsky, Gina Torres, and more. The storyline is a nice blend of procedural and serial where the individual cases of the week all tie together. So, it plays out like a 13-hour horror movie. It is definitely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: Halloween: The Complete Collection (Limited Deluxe Edition)

 

For many people, including just casual fans of the original Halloween movie, this set is probably overkill, especially now that it is out of print and very expensive. But, for those who are die-hard fans of the series, and loves getting bonus content that comes with purchasing physical discs over streaming, this is a very good set. I will not spend a ton of time reviewing the movies since anyone likely to be looking at this already is familiar with them. This set includes multiple versions of the original 1978 classic horror movie, and its original sequels (plus Halloween III, which I personally do not count as a part of the Halloween series, and Rob Zombie's remakes). The movies range in quality. Most people tend to consider the original movie to be the best, but opinions vary wildly on the quality of the other movies. For me, Halloween Resurrection is the worst of the bunch, but opinions definitely vary. Here is a breakdown of what you get on each disc:

Disc One: The first disc contains the original theatrical edition of the first movie. The extras include a great audio commentary track with John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis, an hour-long featurette entitled "The Night She Came Home" which chronicles Curtis using her (and the movie's) fame to raise money for charity through an appearance at an autograph signing/convention appearance. Then there is a ten-minute featurette on the neighborhood the movie was shot in showing some of the locations, a collection of scenes that played in the TV cut of the movie, the trailer, and TV and radio spots. There is also a new commentary track on the movie with the director of photography Dean Cundey, Editor Tommy Lee Wallace, and Nick Castle, who played Michael (aka "The Shape").

Disc 2: This disc includes the theatrical cut of the movie with a commentary track by Carpenter, Curtis, and producer Debra Hill. It repeats a lot from commentary on disc 1 but does have some decent additions from Hill. Then there is an 87-minute retrospective documentary with the cast and crew members that were made after the original Blu-ray release. Then there is a fast film Facts featurette and the same TV and radio spots from disc 1.

Disc 3: This disc includes the theatrical version of Halloween II, the sequel to Halloween that Carpenter reluctantly made in the early 1980s, continuing the Laurie Strode/Michael Myers story, picking up exactly where the first movie ended. There are two commentaries tracks on the movie, the first with director Rick Rosenthal and actor Leo Rossi, and the second with actor/stunt coordinator Dick Warlock. Then there is a 45-minute making-or retrospective documentary, and an episode of "Horror's Hallowed Ground" which looks at the shooting locations, deleted scenes, an alternate ending, stills, the theatrical trailer and TV and radio spots.

Disc four: This includes the TV version of Halloween II that basically removes the gore and nudity from the theatrical cut and adds a few scenes in to make up for what is cut out. It is not in HD and does not have a lossless audio track, so it is kind of wasted on Blu-Ray. Then there is a copy of the Halloween II script.

Disc five: This has the hotly debated Season of the Witch, a sequel in name only that never should have been released under the Halloween name. Had it just been titled Season of the Witch and not Halloween III, I do not think the movie would have had nearly the backlash it has received over the years. There are two commentary tracks on the move, one with the director Tommy Lee Wallace, Rob G. from "Icons of Fright," and Horror's Hallowed Grounds' Sean Clark in which Wallace defends the movie, and one with lead actor Tom Atkins and BD/DVD Producer Michael Felsher. Then there is a 33-minute making-of documentary, another episode of Horror's Hallowed Grounds that visit the various shooting locations, a stills gallery, tv spots, and the trailer.

Disc Six: This disc includes Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, the 1988 movie that basically reset the franchise. It includes a great commentary track with stars Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris and a second commentary with director Dwight H. Little and author Justin Beahm. This is the disc that included an audio glitch (I never noticed it on my player, but it was noticeable on some tracks, so the studio did offer a replacement disc). The only other extra on this disc is the theatrical trailer. The rest of the extras specific to this movie are, for some reason, on disc 15.

Disc Seven: This disc includes Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and again has a couple of commentary tracks, one with Don Shanks (who played Michael) and author Justin Beahm, and the second with director Dominique Othenin-Girad and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landman. Then there is an "on the set" feature which is just raw behind-the-scenes footage from when the movie was made, a promo for the movie, and the theatrical trailer.

Disc Eight: This disc contains the very controversial Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers. This was one of Paul Rudd's first movies, and Donald Pleasance's last (he died during production). The movie had a good concept, but was just basically a mess and totally screwed up Jamie's story (along with recasting her because Danielle Harris hated the script). This has just the theatrical cut of the movie, TV spots, and theatrical trailers.

Disc Nine: This disc included, for the first time officially, the much bootlegged "Producer's Cut" of Halloween 6. The producer's cut does flesh out the story a bit more and fixes some (but not nearly all) of the issues that were present in the theatrical cut. There is a great commentary track with the writer Daniel Farrands and composer Alan Howarth, in which they discuss the differences between the theatrical cut and the producer's cut, and why the producer's cut was ultimately not the version released. Then there are several making-of featurettes, some alternate and deleted scenes, archival footage, an interview with Danielle Harris about why she did not return for the movie, with a pretty hilarious quip about her pitch to the producers that she could be topless now that she was over eighteen to entice them to give her a larger role, a short tribute to Donald Pleasance, trailers, and promo reel.

Disc Ten: This has the great Halloween H20: 20 Year Later, which was the movie that I would have been perfectly fine with being the end of the series. It saw Curtis' return to the franchise and a great showdown with Michael. There is a commentary track with Sean Clark hosts director Steve Miner and actress Jamie Lee Curtis, an hour-long making-of documentary, scenes with the original score, vintage behind-the-scenes footage, a stills gallery, the trailer, and a tv spot.

Disc Eleven: This has the horrid Halloween Resurrection. It was an awful movie that ruined Halloween H20 in pretty much every way and was a total waste. It has a commentary track with director Rick Rosenthal and editor Robert A. Ferretti, deleted scenes and an alternate ending, a featurette that edits together the webcam videos, a 37-minute making-of documentary, a short set interview with Jamie Lee Curtis, a set tour, storyboard analysis, a stills gallery, tv spots, and the theatrical trailer.

Discs Twelve, Thirteen, and Fourteen: These are just the Rob Zombie versions of Halloween and Halloween 2. It is the same content that was included in their Blu-Ray release, including the same commentary tracks, deleted scenes, bloopers, and the 260-minute making-of documentary for the first movie. There was nothing added for this release.

Disc Fifteen: The final disc has basically all of the other extras. There is the 101-minute extended edition of the original movie, a 27-minute archive documentary, an interview with producer Moustapha Akkad, more stills from the first movie, an interview with the Season of the Witch's make-up effects artist, and the rest of the Halloween 4 and 5 extras (making of-documentaries for each movie, TV Spots, stills galleries, and a more Horror's Hallowed Grounds episodes).

If you love the Halloween Franchise and love bonus material, you have a lot. About the only thing this set does not have are a couple of extras that were included in the releases and of course, the new Blumhouse movies. It is not a perfect set as not everything is in HD, but the plusses definitely outweigh the minuses. It has hours and hours of bonus content to keep you entertained. The only drawback is that you may get sick of watching the movies multiple times to listen to all the commentary tracks (if you want to watch everything in a short time span). I definitely recommend it for fans of the series.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Penny Dreadful: Season 1

 

Penny Dreadful was a horror series that aired on Showtime and starred Eva Green, Timothy Dalton, Josh Hartnett, Harry Treadaway, and Reeve Carney. It is set in England in the late 1800s and played on the old vampire, Frankenstein, and Dorian Gray stories. There are actually several different story arcs that are mostly independent of one another (especially in the first season) and then intertwine at points. The main storyline involves Dutton, Green, and Hartnett's characters. Dalton plays Malcolm Murray, a British explorer whose daughter, Mina, has been abducted. He enlists the help of Ethan Chandler (Hartnett) who is an American with great marksmanship and along with Mina's best friend Vanessa Ives (Green), tries to find Mina to bring her home. They also enlist the help of a young Dr. Frankenstein (played by Treadaway), who quite separately from the plot to find Mina has created a literal monster (played by Rory Kinnear). Dorian Gray (Carney) basically seduces a bunch of people and sets his sights on Vanessa.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the series looks and sounds great in HD. The show uses a lot of practical effects, but there is some CGI and everything blends seamlessly. The show uses a lot of shadow and darkness, which can border on being a bit too dark, but other than that the A/V quality is fine. For extras, there are several short behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes that total about twenty minutes, give or take, in length altogether. They are all separate, however, range from about a minute and a half in length to just over three minutes, and cannot be played all at one time. Then there are two episodes from the Showtime series Ray Donovan.

Overall, the show is very good. It uses a lot of characters from the old horror stories like Van Helsing, Dracula, Frankenstein, and more and weaves them into the story. The series is very well written and acted, with Green, who has a pretty incredible acting range, doing a lot of the heavy lifting. She can go from classic, gorgeous Victorian upper-class to raving psychotic with ease and throughout the series, she does both. There is a lot of violence as well as sex and nudity in the show. So, it is definitely not family-friendly. But, if you are looking for something that is a good blend of horror and drama with a lot of the classic horror story characters, this is a great one.

DVD Review: Halloween: 25 Years of Terror

 

This is basically a documentary that discussed the first 25 years of the Halloween franchise, which at that point had gone up through Halloween Resurrection, the worst of all of the Halloween movies. It was narrated by PJ Soles, who played Linda in the original movie. She definitely had a good time looking back on the history of the franchise, and yes, threw in a couple of "totally"[ies] for old time sake. It contains a lot of archival footage as well as interviews that were new at the time. There were a couple of very glaring omissions when it came to "new" interviews. Those being Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter. Both were shown in archival footage, but neither contributed anything new. It is unclear if they were approached for the project and turned it down (which would be understandable, since I think Curtis had a bad taste in her mouth over how Laurie's storyline was handled after H20, and John Carpenter really did not want anything to do with the Halloween franchise after he made Halloween II), or if they were never approached at all.

You really do have to be a fan of the franchise, and like DVD extras/bonus material to find this interesting. If you don't really like going through extras on DVDs or Blu-Rays, AND, you are not a fan of the Halloween franchise, this will have absolutely nothing that will appeal to you. For others, you do get some good information about how the various films were made, including the cluster that was Halloween 6 (The Curse of Michael Myers) and get behind-the-scenes footage from the various movies that had not been included anywhere else.

Movie/DVD Review: The Cell (2000 version)

The Cell is a thriller and at times horror movie from back in 2000 starring Jennifer Lopez as a psychotherapist who has developed a way to enter the mind of patients. Vincent D'Onofrio plays a serial killer who is caught by an FBI agent played by Vince Vaughn. The FBI knows he has abducted a woman who will be dead soon if they do not locate her, and hire Lopez's character to enter the killer's mind in order to try and find where the victim is being held. What follows is a very trippy movie, with a lot of stunning visuals. Because most of the movie is set in the mind of the killer, the rules of the real world don't really apply, and the film makes good use of that fact. There is not a lot of gore in the movie (it is mostly a psychological thriller), but when there is, it is not for the squeamish. 

The movie has been re-released on disc several times on disc, including on blu-ray. I have the original DVD release, and for those who are looking at that, the extras include deleted scenes, cast and crew biographies, trailers, a couple of different commentary tracks on the movie, storyboard sequences, and a feature on the music. And, there are some DVD-ROM features if you play it on a computer.

Overall, the film is very well-written and acted.  D'Onofrio steals the show and definitely shows off his acting range. This is one of Lopez's best performances (I know that people tend to love her or hate her as an actress) in any of her movies, and Vaughn does a very good job in a role that is very different from the wise-cracking comedies he is known for. There is sexual content and nudity (mostly in the form of torture scenes as opposed to erotic scenes) and the movie just skirted getting an NC-17 rating. So, it is definitely not for everyone. But, if you are looking for an original thriller that is not at all cookie cutter, this is definitely a good movie to check out.

Movie/DVD Review: Halloween (1999 Limited Edition)

This is one of the first DVD releases (if not the first) of the iconic 1978 low-budget horror film starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance. It tells the story of a boy named Michael Myers who, on Halloween night in 1968 kills his sister. He is committed to a mental institution where he is under the care of Dr. Sam Loomis (played by Pleasance), ends up breaking out a decade later only to return to his hometown of Haddonfield Illinois to go on a killing spree. 

Halloween was more of a thriller than a horror movie. Although it falls in the horror genre, it relies far more on jump scares than it does gore. There is actually very little blood in the movie, and the goriest shot is probably when Myers attacks the boyfriend of one of the teenagers and hangs him to a wall with a butcher knife. Even in that scene, there is not really any blood. So, it is not a horror movie in the "slasher porn" genre that just tries to be as gory as possible. 

Even though it was a low-budget, independent movie, it was well-written and acted. Pleasance really carried the movie as the very intense Loomis who was hell-bent on stopping Myers and was the only one who saw him as the threat he really was. Curtis was still very green as an actress (this was one of her first acting roles, if not the first, and certainly her first major role), but still did a good job playing Laurie Strode, the goody-two-shoes babysitter. While the dialogue (especially that written for the teenagers) is now out of date and cheesy, the movie, overall, holds up now over 40-years later.

The DVD set includes both the theatrical version of the movie as well as a version that added in scenes (and introduced the controversial Michael-Laurie connection) that were added for the TV version of the movie to make up for the material (like the nude scenes) that had to be edited out. But, on the DVD they were just added to the theatrical version of the movie to make a longer cut. The extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and a great commentary track with director John Carpenter, screenwriter Debra Hill, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Halloween is a bit of a cult classic movie, that has a large devoted following, but still probably does not appeal to the masses. To the extent that any horror movie does that, Halloween is probably the one that does. It was a far more successful movie than anyone, including Carpenter, ever thought it would be, and of course, became a pretty huge movie franchise spawning many sequels of varying quality (over Carpenter's objection). Chances are, most people already know if they love or hate the movie, but if you have not upgraded to blu-ray and do not want to shell out for the Halloween collection (which has every movie up to the Bloomhouse reboot of the franchise), this is a great edition to get.