AMAZON

Now available to purchase on Blu-ray (as well as 4K Ultra HD and DVD) is the award-winning blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody (PG-13; 135 minutes), which is a biography of the rock band Queen and their lead singer Freddie Mercury (played by Rami Malek).

Along with Rami Malek, the rest of the cast includes Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, and Mike Myers.

Queen is one of the most popular rock bands who had dozens of #1 hits, including We Will Rock You, Another One Bites The Dust, Bohemian Rhapsody, Hammer To Fall, and Radio Ga Ga. The band consisted of vocalist Freddy Mercury, lead guitarist Brian May, bass guitarist John Deacon, and drummer Roger Taylor.

Bohemian Rhapsody mostly centers around Farrokh Bulsara (later known as Freddie Mercury), a young college student who forms a band called Queen with former Smile band members Brian May and Roger Taylor (played by Gwilym Lee and Ben Hardy). Later, they hired John Deacon (played by Joe Mazzello) as the bass guitarist; though this event is never shown in the film.

Basically the film chronicles the band's rise to stardom, their breakup (which never occurred in reality), and lastly their reunion at the 1985 Live Aid at Wembley Stadium.

Blu-ray Special Features:

• The Complete Live Aid Movie Performance Not Seen in Theaters
• Rami Malek: Becoming Freddie
• The Look and Sound of Queen
• Recreating Live Aid 

MILL CREEK ENT. * AMAZON

I watch many different genres of horror including the controversial "torture porn," which is what modern "splatter films" are now called. The 2005 film Hostel was the first to be labeled "torture porn," though the new genre trend really started in 2004 with the original Saw. These types of films rely less on horror and more on gore.

Yesterday, Mill Creek Entertainment released the Horror Double Feature Blu-ray + DVD set ($14.98) featuring the director's  cut of Hostel and its sequel Hostel Part II (unrated director's cut). The only special feature on the two-disc set is an "Alternate Director's Cut Ending," which is only included on the DVD.

Presented by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Eli Roth, Hostel (2005; 94 minutes) centers on two American tourist, Paxton and Josh, (played by Jay Hernandez and Derek Richardson) backpacking across Europe with their Icelandic pal Óli (played by Eyþór Guðjónsson). They travel to Amsterdam, where the trio have only have two things on their minds - parting and women. Shortly after arriving, they are told if they want to have a good time, then they need to go to the hostel in Slovakia, which is exactly what they do. Unfortunately, that was their biggest mistake. Unknowingly to them, Slovakia is home to a secret elite hunting group, where tourist are kidnapped and are given to the rich to be tortured to death.

Eli Roth returned to write and direct Hostel Part II (2007; 95 minutes). The sequel centers on three American art students, Beth, Whitney, and Lorna (played by Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, and Heather Matarazzo) traveling to Slovakia for a vacation, but shortly upon arriving they are kidnapped the same "hunting" group from the first movie and are sold off to be tortured by the wealthy.

Final Thoughts

Walmart; Target

Arriving on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital form Disney Home Entertainment on January 29th is fantasy adventure The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (PG; 99 minutes).

Directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, the film stars Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Eugenio Derbez, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant, Misty Copeland, with Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman.

Based on the short story"The Nutcracker and the Mouse King"by E. T. A. Hoffmann and the play "The Nutcracker" by Marius Petipa, the film centers around Clara Stahlbaum receiving a locked handcrafted egg-shaped box as a Christmas gift from her late mother. (Actually, Clara's father gave it her, but her mother had gave him instructions to do so before she died.) Her mother also left behind a note, which stated the egg is all she would ever need.

While attending a Christmas Eve ball, Clara visits her godfather, Drosselmeyer, who happens to be an engineer. She learns Drosselmeyer had made the egg many years ago and had given it to her mother as a gift. After having a brief argument with her father, Clara finds a string with her name on it. She follows the string into the forest which takes her to a parallel world where she locates the egg's key. However, before she can grab the key, a mouse snatches it away.

Within minutes of losing the key, Clara meets Captain Philip Hoffman the Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairy of the Land of Sweets, Shivers of the Land of Snowflakes, and Hawthorne of the Land of Flowers, who are all at war with the Land of Amusements, otherwise known as "the Fourth Realm."

To recover the lost key that will unlock her mother's gift, Clara must battle an army of  life-size toy soldiers and somehow restore peace to the Realms.


Blu-ray Special Features are:

• On Pointe: Misty Copeland - Copeland shares the thrill of portraying one of her favorite characters in a whole new way.
• Unwrapping The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - Dive into the production design, sets, costumes and more that helped transform a beloved ballet into an adventurous movie.
• Deleted Scenes
• The Stahlbaums Arrive- As the Stahlbaums enter the Christmas Eve ball, the butler attempts to announce them to the assembled guests.
• Follow Your Ribbon- Drosselmeyer encourages a reluctant Clara to go find her gift.
• Deleted Scene: Clara Asks About Her Mother - Sugar Plum gives Clara a tour of her mother’s bedroom.
• Left, Left, Left, Left, Left - Wandering lost in the forest, palace guards Cavalier and Harlequin quarrel about which way to go.
• Out with the Old- Sugar Plum makes sweeping changes to the palace decor.
• Music Videos
• “Fall on Me” Performed by Andrea Bocelli Featuring Matteo Bocelli - Experience superstar tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli performing their first duet together in this uplifting song.
• “The Nutcracker Suite” Performed by Lang Lang - Get swept up in a series of images from the movie, set to Tchaikovsky’s music and featuring world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.

Exclusive Digital Bonus Feature:

• Unwrapped: The Visuals Effects of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - Get swept up in a series of images from the movie, set to Tchaikovsky’s music and featuring world-renowned pianist Lang Lang. 

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Come on! I know everyone has heard of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw from the English folklore who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. The character has appeared in countless novels, comic books, plays, television series, and feature films!

Speaking of feature films, Mill Creek Entertainment just released Robin Hood Origins ($14.98), which features 5 classic movies, though only four involve Robin Hood. (All explain more of that later!). The five films are split up on two discs, so don't expect excellent film quality. There are no special features or bonus extras.

The fives films are:

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest (1946; 87 minutes) - Based on the novel Son of Robin Hood by Paul A. Castleton, the film centers on Robin Hood's son (played by Cornel Wilde) leading the Merry Men to rescue the King of England, who happens to be a kid.

The Prince of Thieves (1948; 72 minutes) - Based on Le Prince des voleurs by Alexandre Dumas, the film centers on Robin Hood (played by John Hall) teaming up with Sir Allan Claire and  Lady Marian Claire to rescue Sir Allan's bride-to-be, Lady Christabel, who is being forced by her father to marry someone else.

The Black Arrow (1947; 76 minutes) - Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson, the film centers around Richmond Shelton (played by Louis Hayward) returning home after fighting in the War of the Roses. Upon arriving at his family's home, he learns the estate has been claimed by his uncle, Sir Daniel Brackley (played by George Macready), who just happens to be his father's murderer. Shelton ends up leading a small army against his uncle and his minions.

Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950; 80 minutes) - Directed by Gordon Douglas, the film centers on Robin, Earl of Huntington (played by John Derek), a.k.a - the son of Robin Hood, taking over his father's legacy by leading the Merry Men against King John.

Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960; 80 minutes) - Produced by Hammer Film Productions, the film has Richard Greene reprising his role as Robin Hood from 1955 - 1959 British television series The Adventures of Robin Hood, though none of other cast-members return for the movie. Robin and his Merry Men try to expose the Sheriff of Nottingham's (played by Peter Cushing) wicked plot of attempting to kill the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Final Thoughts

AMAZON

Released this month to DVD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the dark-comedy The Oath (Rated R; 93 minutes).

Ike Barinholtz wrote, produced, and directed the movie, as well as starring a the main character. The film also stars Tiffany Haddish, Nora Dunn, Chris Ellis, Jon Barinholtz, Meredith Hagner, Carrie Brownstein, Billy Magnussen, and John Cho.

Set in a way-too-realistic future, the plot involves the United States President making the citizens sign a “The Patriot’s Oath," which means you have to vow to stay loyal to the President, no matter what he does. Despite objections, almost everyone citizen has signs the oath; well, except for Chris and Kai (played by Barinholts and Haddish), a suburban couple.

While hosting Thanksgiving dinner for their family, two government agents (played by Cho and Magnussen) arrive at their home to bully them into singing the oath. The deadline for the "The Patriot's Oath" is the very next day, Black Friday, and the agents are there to make sure they sign the oath! However, things don't go as planned, which results in Chris and family taking the agents hostage.

Special Features include:

• Deleted Scenes
• 2 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
• "Fake News or Facts"
• "Turkey Day Trauma"
• Photo Gallary
• Theatrical Trailer

Mill Creek Entertainment; AMAZON

I'm almost positive almost everyone has watched the 1984 classic The Karate Kid at least one time in their lifetime. It's an iconic underdog story that inspired many 80s kids to learn martial arts. And, of course, the film kicked off a franchise, which recently included the YouTube Red spinoff series Cobra Kai.

Now available on a Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment is the The Karate Kid III & The Next Karate Kid ($14.98). There are no special features or bonus extras.

Directed by John G. Avildsen, The Karate Kid III (1989; PG; 112 minutes) picks up several months after the second film with Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi (played by Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) returning to Los Angeles after their trip to Japan. Upon their return, they learn that Daniel's mother has moved to New Jersey to take care of her sick uncle and their apartment building is being torn down, leaving Mr. Miyagi jobless and Daniel homeless. Well, not exactly homeless, as he ends moving into Mr. Miyagi's home.

Mr. Miyagi isn't unemployed for too long. Daniel uses his college fund to open a bonsai shop with him. Unknowingly to them, disgraced Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese (played by Martin Kove) teams up with Vietnam War buddy, Terry Silver (played by Thomas Ian Griffith), to seek revenge against Daniel for winning the All-Valley Karate Championships. They hire Mike Barnes (played by Sean Kanan) to bully Daniel and to challenge him to a fight at the next tournament.

Directed by Christopher Cain, The Next Karate Kid (1994; PG; 107 minutes) centers on Julie (played by Hilary Swank), a troubled teenager living with her grandmother in Boston. After meeting Mr. Miyagi at a commendation for Japanese-American soldiers, he talks the grandmother into taking a vacation to Los Angeles and he would stay in Boston to look after Julie. Of course, Mr. Miyagi has another reason for wanting to babysit a teenager. He wants to teach Julie how to control her anger issues that she has had ever since the death of her parents.

Final Thoughts

AMAZON

Yes, I'm well aware it's way past midnight, but since it has been a few weeks since I've reviewed a horror movie I thought I would go ahead and post this review as a Midnight Horror Review post; though technically I did watch a horror movie at around midnight.

The horror flick that I'd watched was the 2018 slasher Hell Fest, which just arrived on Blu-ray this week from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. It's also available on 4K Ulta HD, DVD, and Digital for those of you who need to know that bit of information. The only special feature is the 16-minute "Thrills and Kills: Making Hell Fest" and the Theatrical Trailer.

Directed by Gregory Plotkin, the film stars Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Matt Mercurio, Roby Attal, Stephen Conroy, and Tony Todd.

Hell Fest centers on a group of friends (Natalie, Brooke, Taylor, Asher, and Gavin) going to a horror-themed Halloween event at an amusement park, which is filled with games, mazes, and rides. This is the type of place were the workers (and probably a few volunteers) are dressed as zombies, ghosts, creatures, etc., anything that would scare someone to death. Everyone is having a blast except for Natalie, who believes a masked stranger "The Other" is stalking her.

Like all slashers go, one by one "The Other" preys on each teen in the group and he leaves a few other dead bodies in his path of destruction.

Amy Forsyth ("Natalie", left) and Reign Edwards ("Brooke", right) star in HELL FEST.

Bex Taylor-Klaus ("Taylor") stars in HELL FEST.

Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Since it is "football Sunday," I thought it would be the perfect time for me to review the Gridiron Gang: Special Edition Blu-ray (PG-13; 125 minutes; $14.98), which was released a few months ago by Mill Creek Entertainment.

Directed by Phil Joanou, the 2006 drama told the true story of the Kilpatrick Mustangs 1990 football season. Dwayne Johnson plays juvenile probation officer Sean Porter who works at the Kilpatrick Detention Center in Los Angeles. He created a football team called the Kilpatrick Mustangs to help the troubled kids at the center learn about responsibility, discipline, and team work.

Getting the kids to work together isn't an easy thing to accomplish as there's a mixture of former gang members on the team who don't trust each other. Thanks to Porter's leadership, he leads the team to the playoffs.

Special Features include:

• The Original 1992 Emmy Award Winning Documentary Gridiron Gang
• Deleted Scenes
• Commentary with the Writer and Director
• Gridiron Gang Football Training
• Phil Joanou Profile
• The Rock Takes the Field

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

What every happened to John Travolta?

The last movie I saw the actor star in a movie was the comedy Wild Hogs and it wasn't very good. Nevertheless, most of his films are now available on Blu-ray, including Perfect, Basic, A Love Song For Bobby Long, and Lonely Hearts which were recently released on a two-disc 4 in 1 Collection set ($14.98) from Mill Creek Entertainment.

Perfect (1985; R; 120 minutes) - Directed by James Bridges, the romantic drama centered on Rolling Stone magazine reporter Adam Lawrence (played by John Travolta) traveling to Los Angeles to write an article about "single bars of the '80s," which leads him to investigate a popular health club. This is where he meets workout instructor Jessie Wilson (played by Jamie Lee Curtis). There's an instant connection between them and they quickly fall in love, but their relationship is put to the test when he must stretch the truth for his article.


Basic (2003; R; 99 minutes) - Directed by John McTiernan, John Travolta plays DEA agent Tom Hardy, a former Ranger who teams up with Military Police investigator Captain Julia Osborne (played by Connie Nielsen) to investigate the disappearance of Master Sergeant Nathan West (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and a small group of Army Rangers.


A Love Song For Bobby Long (2004; R; 121 minutes) - Directed by Shainee Gabel and based on the novel Off Magazine Street by Ronald Everett Capps, the drama centers around Purslane Will (played by Scarlett Johansson, a teenager who travels to New Orleans to find two strangers, Bobby Long Played by John Travolta) and Lawson Pines (played by Gabriela Macht), living in her deceased mother's home.

Lonely Hearts (2006; R; 108 minutes) - Directed by Todd Robinson, the film tells the true story of the serial couple Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez (played by Salma Hayek and Jared Leto). After meeting through a personal ad in a magazine, the couple go on a killing spree; preying on lonely, rich women. Hot in pursuit are homicide detectives Elmer C. Robinson and Charles Hildebrandt (played by James Gandolfini), who are determined to capture them.

Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Entertainment; AMAZON

Now available on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment is The 6 Degrees Collection ($19.96), featuring six movies all starring Kevin Bacon.

The movies on the 2-disc set are:

The Big Picture (1989; PG-13; 101 minutes) - Directed by Christopher Guest, Kevin Bacon stars Nick Chapman, a Midwest film student who wins a student film contest in LA. After winning, Hollywood execs are all wanting to produce his new "big" movie idea. While everything is a fun at first, Nick quickly sees the darker side of Hollywood as his life begins to unravel.

Flatliners (1990; R; 114 minutes) - Directed by Joel Schumacher, the film centers five medical students (played by Keven Bacon, Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Keifer Sutherland, and Oliver Platt) who are studying near-death experiences. Each one becomes a test subject, which they are flatlined for a short time before being brought back from death. Shortly after being rived, they begin to have frightening visions that threatens their lives.

Hollow Man (2000; R; 112 minutes) - Directed by Paul Verhoeven and inspired by H. G. Wells' novel The Invisible Man, the film centers on a team of scientist working on an invisibility serum in an underground laboratory. When the government threatens to cut their funding, Scientist Sebastian Caine (played by Kevin Bacon) becomes the first human test subject. After having his team turn him invisible, he seems to be perfectly fine. However, the longer he stays invisible, the crazier he becomes. Eventually, he turns into a serial killer; taking out his team one by one. The movie also stars Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, Joey Slotnick, and William Devane.

Trapped (2002; R; 106 minutes) - Directed by Luis Mandoki, based on the book 24 Hours by  Greg Iles, the film centers on Joe Hickey (played by Kevin Bacon and his cousin Marvin (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince) kidnapping Abby (played by a young Dakota Fanning), a daughter of Dr. Will and Karen Jennings (played by Stuart Townsend and Charlize Theron). While Marvin takes Abby to a isolated cabin to hold her hostage, Joe torments Karen. As for Will, he was away on business when the kidnapping occurred. Joe sends his wife Cheryl (played by Courtney Love) to give Will their demands and to make sure he doesn't contact the authorities.

In The Cut (2003; R; 119 minutes) - Directed by Jane Campion, based on the book of the same name by Susanna Moore, the film centers on Frannie Avery (played by Meg Ryan), a high school teacher and writer who finds herself entangled in a murder mystery plot after witness a sexual act in a bar bathroom. Kevin Bacon has a very small uncredited role in the film.

What The Truth Lies (2005; R; 107 minutes) - Directed by Atom Egoyan, based on the book of the same name by Rupert Holmes, the film centers on around the murder of a college student in 1957, but her body isn't discovered until 1972. A journalist Karen O'Connor begins investigating the murder, which leads her to the comedy duo Lanny Morris and Vince Collins (played by Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth).

Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Entertainment; Amazon

Mary Higgins Clark is one of most beloved modern mystery writers. Soon to be 91-years-old next month, "The Queen of Suspense" has sold over 100 million copies of her novels in the U.S. alone.

Many of her books have been turned into movies over the years.

Earlier this year, Mill Creek Entertainment released the six-disc DVD set Mary Higgins Clark: 14 Film Collection ($29.98), featuring four theatrical film adaptations and ten made-for-television movies.

The titles on the DVD set include:

AMAZON

Does anyone actually remember seeing any advertisements for 2014's The Maze Runner?

I for one don't recall seeing one advertisement for the film or for the two sequels (The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure). I wasn't aware of the franchise, which is based on the Young Adult book series by James Dashner, until recently. Yeah, I know, I must be living under a rock or something.

The Maze Runner Trilogy is now available on a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital + Limited Edition Bandana Gift Set from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

The Maze Runner is set in a futurist dystopian world where a teenager named Thomas (played by Dylan O'Brien) wakes up inside an underground elevator that takes him to the grassy area known as the  "Glade," which is surrounded by stone walls. There are man other teenage males there, who have formed a society. Once a month, the elevator will come up with food, supplies, and a new boy. The only way to escape the Glade is through a mysterious maze that is guarded by creatures.

The Scorch Trials pick up directly after the end of The Maze Runner, where Thomas and the other Glade survivors find themselves on the run from the WCKD, a government organization that wants to experiment on them. To survive, they must travel through the city ruins and locate the Right Arm, a small resistance army.

The Death Cure concludes the trilogy with Thomas, Newt (played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster), and Frypan (played by Dexter Darden) searching for a way to get through the walls of the Last City, so they can rescue their friend Minho (played by Ki Hong Lee), who is being experimented on by WCKD.

Special Features on the set include:

The Maze Runner

• Audio Commentary by Director Wes Ball and Co-Screenwriter T.S. Nowlin
• Deleted Scenes Optional Commentary by Wes Ball
• Navigating the Maze: The Making of The Maze Runner Documentary
• The Chuck Diaries 
• Gag Reel
• Visual Effects Reel
• Ruin Short Film
• Still Galleries and Storyboards

The Scorch Trials

• Audio Commentary by Director Wes Ball, Screenwriter T.S. Nowlin, Producer Joe Hartwick Jr. and Film Editor Don Zimmerman
• Janson's Report-CLASSIFIED Debriefing Videos
• Deleted and Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary
• Secrets of the Scorch 6-Part Documentary
• Gag Reel
• Visual Effects Reel
• Concept Art and Storyboard

The Death Cure

• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Unlocking the Cure
• The Final Run
• Dystopia: The Completed World
• Allies Reunited
• A Look Back: The Director's Journey

• Going Out on Top
• Visual Effects Breakdowns
• Visual Effects Reel
• Gag Reel
• Audio Commentary by Wes Ball, T.S. Nowlin and Joe Hartwick Jr.
• Gallery

Final Thoughts

Welcome midnighters and horror lovers to my Midnight Horror Review.

AMAZON

On a rare occasion I will receive a product, book, or even a movie out of the blue; something that I had never requested to review. Back in the spring of 2017, I had received three horror DVDs from Sector 5 Films, which one of those titles happened to #FromJennifer. Out of the three, this horror comedy is the only one that I had actually watched at the time, but I never got around to writing the review for it. The envelope which contained these DVDs got lost, well, until I stumbled upon while cleaning last week.

Produced, written, and directed by Frank Merle, #FromJennifer (80 minutes) stars Danielle Taddei, Tony Todd, Derek Mears, Aaron Abrams, and Meghan Deanna Smith.

The film centers around Jennifer Peterson (played by Danielle Taddei), a struggling actress who was recently fired from a horror film. Her manager (played by Tony Todd) suggests she should start a video blog to gain some fans and maybe even get the attention of a few producers and directors.

Shortly after uploading her first vlog to the world, her manager dumps her because of a rumored sex tape, which was released by her ex-boyfriend. Feeling humiliated and betrayed, Jennifer sets out to make a "'Revenge Porn Revenge" video, which she gets a bit of help from her new assistant, Butch (played by Derek Mears), a clueless idiot who is very loyal to her cause.

Final Thoughts

I guess technically #FromJennifer is third the installment in Section 5 Films' Jennifer series, which started with To Jennifer in 2013 and followed by 2 Jennifer in 2016. #From Jennifer is standalone film and is only connected to the other films by name, which is a good thing as those films sucked!

Despite it's low budget, questionable acting, and silly plot, #FromJennifer is somewhat entertaining at times. While there isn't much horror in the film, there's plenty of blood to go around. Derek Mears as the doofus sidekick is the best part of the movie. Horror legend Tony Todd is in it for only a few minutes as Jennifer's manager.

Overall, #FromJennifer is a surprisingly likeable horror comedy. If you don't expect too much from the film, you might actually enjoy watching it.

MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT; AMAZON

Are you ready for a blast from the past?

The 1998 teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait (PG-13; 100 minutes; $14.98) is now available on a "20th Year Reunion Edition Blu-ray," which was recently released by Mill Creek Entertainment.

Written and directed by Deborah Kaplan & Harry Elfont, the movie stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. It also features special appearances by Jaime Pressly, Selma Blair, Jerry O’Connell, Jenna Elfman, Jason Segel, Freddy Rodriguez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Clea DuVall, Melissa Joan Hart, Breckin Meyer, and Donald Faison.

The movie centers around a high school graduation party, where Preston Meyers (played by Ethan Embry) is planning on declaring his love to his four-year-crush Amanda Beckett (played by Jennifer Love Hewitt), who was recently dumped by her jock boyfriend Mike Dexter (played by Peter Facinelli). Since anyone and everyone is at the party, Preston never gets one second alone with Amanda, so he leaves behind a love letter for her before he goes to the railroad station to leave for Boston.

Attending the party with Preston is his best friend Denise Fleming (played by Lauren Ambrose). She accidentally gets locked in a bathroom with Kenny Fisher (played by Seth Green), who came to the party with the purpose of losing his virginity.

Meanwhile, Mike tries and fails to win Amanda back. Unknowingly to him, the school nerd William Lichter (played by Carlie Korsomo) plans on getting revenge against Mike for bulling him for the last four years.

Bonus Features include:

• 2 Commentary Tracks featuring the Cast and Filmmakers
• Huntington Hills Class of '98 Reunion Special
• The Making of a Teen Class Featurette
• Deleted Scenes
• "I Can't Get Enough of You Baby" Music Video by Smash Mouth

Final Thoughts

AMAZON

While cleaning up a pile of junk from my desk, I stumbled upon a blank cardboard DVD envelope, which I had no clue what was inside until I actually opened it. To my surprise, inside the envelope was a DVD-R copy of Attack of the Killer Donuts that was sent to me by Level 33 Entertainment. I had completely forgotten about having the movie!

My apologizes to Level 33 Entertainment for my extremely long delay with this review!

Directed by Scott Wheeler, the film stars Justin Ray, Kayla Compton, Ben Heyman, Kassandra Voyagi, Fredrick Burn, C. Thomas Howell, and Michael Swan.

Attack of the Killer Donuts centers around a twenty-something Johnny, a slacker who lives with his mother and Uncle Luther, a scientist. He spends his days working at a local doughnut shop with his friend Michelle, who has a crush on him.

One day Uncle Luther comes into the shop wanting to "borrow" Johnny's laptop and accidentally dumps a green substance into the fryer pan. Unknowingly to them, Johnny and Michelle fry donuts all afternoon that have been infected with the green substance, which reanimates the donuts into murderous creatures.

Nothing can stop the killer donuts from munching on the townsfolk, not even the town's two dumb cops (played by  Fredrick Burn and C. Thomas Howell). It's up to Johnny, Michelle, and Howard (played by Ben Heyman) - Johnny's best friend who happens to be sleeping with his mother - to stop the donuts' killing spree.

Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Entertainment * AMAZON

Just because Halloween is over doesn't mean you have to stop watching slasher flicks!

Does it?

Of course not!!! If you're like me, then you're probably watching horror movies all thru the year.

Last night, I watched a double feature of Strait-Jacket and Berserk!, both starring the late Joan Crawford (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?). The films were recently released on the Psycho Biddy Double Feature Blu-ray (NOT RATED; 189 minutes; $14.98) from Mill Creek Entertainment.

Directed by the legendary director William Castle and written for the screen by Robert Bloch (the author of Psycho), Strait-Jacket (1964; B&W; 93 minutes) tells the tale of Lucy Harbin (played by Crawford), a woman who has been locked up in a psychiatric hospital for the last twenty years for decapitating her husband and his mistress with an axe. After being released, her brother Bill and sister-in-law Emily (played by Leif Erickson and Rochelle Hudson) lets her live with them on the family farm.

Bill and Emily had adopted Lucy's young daughter Carol (played by Diane Baker) after she was institutionalized. Now an adult, Carol is an artist and sculptor. She's an engaged to Michael Fields (played by John Anthony Hayes). Her life is going great, until her mother is released back into her life. Despite their estrangement, Carol attempts to heal her relationship with her mother.

After a series of new axe-murder occurs in the area, everyone points their fingers at Lucy!


Directed by Jim O'Connolly, Berserk! centers around a traveling English circus owned by Monica Rivers (played by Joan Crawford) and her business partner Dorando (played by Michael Gough). At first glance, it seems like just another normal circus, well, until the tightrope walker Gaspar the Great dies during an act. No, it wasn't an accident. It seems someone had weakened the tightrope that lead to his death. Shortly after hiring a new tightrope artist, Frank Hawkins (played by Ty Hardin), Dorando is murdered.

Monica tries her best to calm the nervous of the other circus performers and protect her daughter, Angela (played by Judy Geeson), who just rejoined the circus after being expelled from school. Protecting your loved ones isn't an easy thing to do with a killer on the loose.

Mill Creek Entertainment * AMAZON

Now available on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment is Born Free: The Complete Collection, featuring the films Born Free (1966; 95 minutes; PG), Living Free (1972; 91 minutes; G), Born Free: A New Adventure (1996; 91 minutes; NOT RATED), and Born Free: The Complete Television Series (1974; 826 minutes). There are no special features on the 4-disc set.

Born Free is based on the nonfiction book of the same name by the late Joy Adamson, it told the true story of George and Joy Adamson (played in the film by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna), who are living in the Northern Frontier District of Kenya when George is forced to kill a lioness. He brings home three female cubs, which they named Big One, Lustica, and Elsa. The two older lioness were eventually sent to the Rotterdam Zoo, but the couple kept Elsa, who they raised as a pet.

After Elsa caused a herd of elephants to stampede through a local village, George and Joy knew they had either two options - send Elsa to a zoo or set her free into wild. Joy is determined that the best choice is to let Elsa be free, but doing so will be a major challenge, as the couple must train Elsa to hunt in the wild.

Living Free takes the title name from Joy Adamson's second book but the plot is actually based on the author's third book, Forever Free. For the sequel, Nigel Davenport and Susan Hampshire take over the roles of George and Joy. After Elsa dies of a sudden illness, the couple make it their mission to teach Elsa's three cubs (Jespah, Gopa and Little Elsa) to hunt in the wild.

Born Free: A New Adventure is a made-for-television movie that aired on ABC in 1996 starring Chris Noth, Jonathan Brandis, and Ariana Richards. The low-budget film has very little to do with the original films. It's more of a modern reboot with a new "Elsa" lioness.

Born Free: The Complete Television Series ignores Living Free and is more of a direct sequel to Born Free. While Elsa the lioness is featured in the episodes, the plots focuses more on George and Joy Adamson's daily struggles to (played by Gary Collins and Muldaur) run a natural reserve in Kenya. The series lasted for only 13 episodes.

 Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Entertainment * Amazon

Now available on a Blu-ray + DVD Steelbook from Mill Creek Entertainment is the 2001 anime classic Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis (PG-13; 108 minutes; $34.98).

Based on the 1949 manga by the late Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy) and loosely inspired by the 1927 German silent film "Metropolis," the anime film is set in a futuristic city where humans and robots, but not in harmony. Robots are classified by levels and if they leave their levels, then they'll be destroyed.

A powerful industrial leader, Duke Red, is creating an oversized skyscraper called the Ziggurat, which is supposed to give off a massive amount of power across the entire planet. Duke had hired a mad scientist, Dr. Laughton, to create a super human robot in the likeness of his deceased daughter, Tima. He wants Tima to be the leader of the Ziggurat.

Duke's adopted son, Rock, is the leader of the Marduk Party, a anti-robot group who will do anything to destroy all robots. Rock believes that Tima will lead to the death of his father and he vowed to kill her, along with any humans or robots that gets in his way.

A private detective Shunsaku Ban travels to Metropolis with his nephew Kenich. He's there to arrest Dr. Laughton, who is wanted for organ trafficking. Unfortunately, by the time Shunsaku locates Dr. Laughton, Rock had already left the doctor mortally wounded. The attack upon the the doctor's lab leads to Tima being activated. Eventually, Kenich befriends Tima, who doesn't know she's a robot, and becomes sort of a father figure for her.

Lost in the city, Kenich takes the responsibility of protecting Timam from Rock's wrath.

 

Special Features include:

• Amazing High-Definition Prestation
• English DTS-HD Master Audio and uncompressed Japanese audio
• English SDH subtitles
• The Making of Metropolis featurette
• Filmmaker Interviews
• Animation Comparisons
• Concept Art Gallery

Final Thoughts

Lionsgate; 35 hours 56 minutes; Not Rated; Amazon

There are way too many television series I have wanted to watch, but I never got around to watching them during their original runs. Black Sails happens to be one of these series.

Black Sails: The Complete Collection was recently released to Blu-ray from STARZ and Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Created by by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine, Black Sails aired on STARZ for four seasons. The series starred Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Tom Hopper, Zach McGowan, Toby Schmitz, Clara Paget, Mark Ryan, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Sean Cameron Michael, Louise Barnes, Rupert Penry-Jones, Luke Roberts, Ray Stevenson, David Wilmot, and Harriet Walter.

Black Sails is a prequel to the classic novel Treasure Island written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Set in 1715 (roughly twenty years before the novel), the series mostly focuses on Captain Flint (played by Toby Stephens), a former British officer turned pirate who finds himself on the New Providence island with an eager crew, but without an actual ship to sail.

New Providence is lead by Eleanor Guthrie (played by Hannah New), a young woman who has taken control of her father's operations across the island. She has taken ownership of the local brothel and wants to control of all the pirates; except for Captain Flint, who has a personal vendetta against the British Navy, and Captain Charles Vane (played by Zach McGowan), a brutal pirate who takes possession of the island, as well as Hannah's heart.

All three characters collide after "Long" John Silver (played by Luke Arnold), arrives on the island with several schemes up his sleeves, including stealing a "schedule" page from Captain Flint. With a lot of backstabbing, Captain Flint acquires a ship and gathers his crew (which includes Silver), so they can steal a treasure of gold.

Let's just say things don't go as planned!

Special Features include:

• Season 1
• "Black Sails": An Inside Look
• Dressed to Kill
• Pirate Camp
• Folklore Is Finished
• A Place in History
• Building the Behemoth
• Season 2
• Inside the World of "Black Sails"
• Man O'War
• Expanding Worlds
• High Sea Action
• History's Influence
• Season 3
• Season Two Recap
• Blackbeard: An 18-Century Pirate
• The Storm
• A Pirate's Last Words
• Woodes Rogers
• Inside the World of "Black Sails"
• Season 4
• Inside the World of "Black Sails"
• Creating the World
• Roundtable: Women in Piracy
• Roundtable: The Legends of Treasure Island
• Roundtable: Fearless Fans

Final Thoughts

Mill Creek Ent., R/Not Rated; 15 hrs; $14.98

With Halloween just over a week away, there's no better time than now to start watching a few scary flicks!

If you're a horror fan on a budget, then I would recommend looking for a Mill Creek Entertainment collection, like this year's Shadow Stalkers, which features 10 horror flicks on a 3-disc set.

The 10 movies titles are:

• Out Of The Dark (1989)
• Happy Birthday To Me (1981)
• Eyes On Laura Mars (1978)
• Bloody Pit Of Horror (1965)
• Don't Answer The Phone (1980)
• Nightmare In Wax (1969)
• Silent Night, Bloody Night (1973)
• Funeral Home (1980)
• Don't Open Till Christmas (1984)
• Drive-In Massacre (1974)

Out Of The Dark (R; 90 minutes) was directed by Michael Schroeder and starred Karen Black, Bud Cort, Divine (final role), and Lynn Danielson. The plot centers around a phone-sex service workers in Los Angeles who are being stalked and murdered by a serial killer wearing a clown mask.

Happy Birthday To Me (R; 111 minutes) was directed by J. Lee Thompson and starred Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Frances Hyland, Tracey Bregman, and Lisa Langlois. The plot centers around Virginia Wainwright, a high school senior who suffers from blackouts. During the blackouts, her friends are murdered by an unknown psychopath. And all of this is occurring near Virginia's 18 birthday.

Eyes Of Laura Mars (R; 104 minutes) was directed by Irvin Kershner, written by John Carpenter & David Zealg Goodman, and starred Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, René Auberjonois, and Raúl Juliá. Dunaway plays Laura Mars, a photographer who stylizes in urban violence. Out of nowhere, she begins seeing real-time events through the eyes of a serial killer.

Don't Answer The Phone (R; 95 minutes) was directed by Robert Hammer and starred James Westmoreland, Denise Galik, and Nicholas Worth. The plot involves a radio talk show's patients being murdered by a madman.

Nightmare In Wax (R; 95 minutes) was directed by Bud Townsend and starred Cameron Mitchell, Anne Helm, and Scott Brady. The plot involves a disfigured ex make-up artist, Vincent Renard (played by Mitchell), taking his revenge on a studio's film stars by turning them into wax figures. (It's too similar to House of Wax.)

Bloody Pit Of Horror (Not Rated; 74 minutes) was directed by Domenico Massimo Pupillo and starred Mickey Hargitay, Walter Bigari, Luisa Baratto, and Ralph Zucker. The plot involves a group of photographers and models breaking into a castle to take a few photos, but they end up running into the owner, who is a demented executioner. 

Silent Night, Bloody Night (Not Rated; 82 minutes) was directed by Theodore Gershuny and starred Patrick O'Neal and John Carradine. The plot involves a man trying to sell his grandfather's mansion, which was once an asylum, but the mayor and the townfolk insists that nobody should ever live there. Things get really weird when a serial killer escapes from a nearby institution.

Funeral Home (R; 93 minutes) was directed by William Fruet and starred Lesleh Donaldson, Kay Hawtrey, Jack Van Evera, Alf Humphreys, and Harvey Atkin. The plot involves a teenager being sent to live with her grandmother to help her convert an old funeral home into a bed-and-breakfast. Well, that's until a serious of murders occur, which leads the teen to undercover a startling family secret.

Don't Open Till Christmas (R; 87 minutes) was directed by Edmund Purdom and starred Edmund Purdom and Belinda Mayne. The plot centers around a masked psychopath stalking and killing anyone who is dressed as Santa Claus.

Drive-In Massacre (R; 74 minutes) was directed and starred John F. Goff , Steve Vincent, and Douglas Gudbye. The plot involves an unseen assailant who brutally murders couples at a drive-in theater.