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Three college friends hit the biggest party of the year, where a mysterious phenomenon disrupts the night, quickly descending into a chaos that challenges their friendships — and whether they can stay alive.

FROM THE BACK OF MY BRAIN:

“Plus One” isn’t a DVD that I would normally watch. That being said, it was interesting to see a college movie about friends watching duplicates of themselves carrying on independently. The blackouts and bio feedback stuff is interesting, but I was left distracting more times than not. I feel that the suspense issue would’ve held up had the acting been stronger. But, I guess lackluster acting helps to create the illusion of a youthful environment.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the nudity held my interest in this movie. It wasn’t a major part of the movie, but it helped to keep my interest when everything started going all second-rate Carruth on me. The multiple timelines aspect is fun, but we never got going with it. I’m an active audience member and I want to enjoy the questions that the narrative asks of me. Quit setting shit up and then backing off it once things are interesting. Heavy and real science fiction is a rare sight these days and I embrace what I can find. That being said, it still needs to follow the same basic demands that I ask of any fiction. Be relevant, be focused and be interesting.

The DVD comes with commentary, featurettes, interviews and a trailer. The standard definition transfer was much clearer than I expected. However, the Dolby 5.1 track had a lot of stepped upon dialogue with a lack of definition in the back channels. It’s not the worst, but it stood out. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!

BAD MILO

Blu-ray reviews

TroyAnderson

January 26, 2014

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOX:

A horror comedy centered on a guy who learns that his unusual stomach problems are being caused by a demon living in his intestines.

FROM THE BACK OF MY BRAIN:

“Bad Milo” opens on poor Duncan. This loveable schlub internalizes a lot of crap, that is until he develops what can only be called a lower G.I. tract demon. Duncan tries to befriend the little bastard, but it’s not long before it is dropping Duncan’s enemies like flies. At times, the comedic horror feels on par with a Henenlotter movie. But, it’s more than that. Nothing is ever mean spirited, as Duncan and Milo work together to reveal something bigger about how the human spirit endeavors.

Gross out horror comedy rarely gets the love it deserves. I grew up as a kid that worshiped “Critters”, “Munchies” and “Ghoulies”, so little Milo triggers that sense of adoration from me. Gillian Jacobs, Patrick Warburton and Peter Stormare all turn in strong supporting roles. That being said, this is the year that I’ve really started to take notice of Ken Marino. He’s starting to break out of the shadow of “The State” and is showing that he can play strong character parts in quirky outings. What he does in his role as Duncan is showcase that sometimes…shit happens. The heart of the film involves showing how one can deal with life’s hardships by finding supportive friends and sharp weapons.

The Blu-Ray comes with extended outtakes, extended dinner scene, deleted scene, featurettes, interviews, commentary and a trailer. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track is clean as hell. However, the 1080p transfer is dark at times. I’m not sure if that was meant to cover up the puppet origins of our titular character. That being said, it was noticeable. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!

CASE OF YOU, A

Blu-ray reviews

TroyAnderson

January 26, 2014

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOX:

Young writer Sam (Justin Long, Going the Distance) has a crush on Birdie (Evan Rachel Wood, The Ides of March), the cute and quirky barista at his local coffee shop. When his conventional attempts to woo her crash and burn, he takes his efforts online, creating an Internet profile embellished with all of the details that would make him Birdie s dream guy: ballroom dancing, rock climbing, and a seemingly endless, escalating series of wacky and unlikely hobbies. When the harebrained scheme is a surprise success and Birdie falls for his exaggerated alter ego, Sam must keep up the act or lose his dream girl forever. A fresh take on romance in the digital age, A CASE OF YOU is a funny and heartwarming exploration of the oftentimes ridiculous things we do for love.

FROM THE BACK OF MY BRAIN:

“A Case of You” marks a lot of famous actors attempt at creating yet another romantic dramedy. Justin Long and Evan Rachel Wood romance each other with less bullshit than you would see in most of Justin Long’s other movies. Brendan Fraser and Peter Dinklage show up in supporting check collecting roles. Dinklage tries to offer up something new, but it’s just dressing on top of this tired cinematic salad. That being said, I appreciate that Long and his co-writers were able to keep the film so short.

Justin Long does a lot of heavy lifting in this movie. The once and future Mac guy tries to beat expectations by playing to emotional relevance rather than tired script cliches. However, if your burgeoning love with your leading lady isn’t that interesting…you’re already in trouble. The audience must care for your courtship, or else we’re watching forced upon romance. There’s nothing quite as harrowing as being forced to adore a woman onscreen.

The Blu-Ray comes with interviews and a trailer. The A/V Quality sports a strong enough 1080p transfer. That being said, the LPCM lossless track makes up for more than the 5.1 track. My receiver could never get an exact read on it, so I don’t how the 5.1 track was mixed. That being said, it still sounds great for carrying a ton of dialogue. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to the curious.

RELEASE DATE: 02/04/2014

TREME: THE COMPLETE SERIES

Blu-ray reviews

TroyAnderson

January 25, 2014

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOX:

Life after Hurricane Katrina as the residents of New Orleans try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in the USA.

FROM THE BACK OF MY BRAIN:

“Treme” underwhelmed me for the first season. After coming off “The Wire”, I felt that David Simon was trying to hard to force these characters upon the audience. That doesn’t mean that I need an episode explaining away the New Orleans culture. However, I need to be able to understand the general thrust of what’s going down. So many early episodes were spent lost in conversations that ultimately went nowhere. The only actor that seemed to want to include the audience was Steve Zahn.

As season 4 winds to a close, I have to say that it picked a great place to stop. So much of the series dabbled in obtuse metaphors and trying to understand who owns what culture. Ultimately, the cast came together in their shared sense of community. Seeing so many groups finally bonding and coming to understand what New Orleans meant to them is refreshing. You don’t end with that sense of dread that you got from the Baltimore of “The Wire”. “Treme” wants you to know that things will eventually get better after Katrina.

I know that I have ruffled a ton of feathers with my casual dismissal of David Simon’s body of work. The guy is incredibly hit and miss as a show runner, but when he nails it…he nails it. Unfortunately, David Simon doesn’t get many times to shine throughout this series. Still, it lasted a lot longer than many flawed conceptual shows on HBO. Hell, I still miss “Hung”. That being said, I will take ambitious adult programming over the usual schlock on network television.

The Blu-Ray comes with featurettes, interactive looks at the New Orleans culture and 16 audio commentaries. The A/V Quality sports an amazing 1080p transfer, plus you get a truly amazing DTS-HD 5.1 audio track. It makes the downtown scenes and the occasional material with the Indian tribes come to life. However, so much of this series was quiet dialogue. So, don’t expect a constant wow factor. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.

RELEASE DATE: 01/28/2014

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: KEEPSAKE EDITION

Blu-ray reviews

TroyAnderson

January 23, 2014

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOX:

Jane Austen’s classic novel about the prejudice that occurred between the 19th century classes and the pride which would keep lovers apart.

FROM THE BACK OF MY BRAIN:

“Pride and Prejudice” has been adapted time and time again. The 1995 adaptation has won favor among true literary snobs as almost being a word for word translation of Austen’s text. Finding the foothold between cinematic and obtuse, this adaptation managed to accomplish something so loving that most forget is possible. It shows that the original word can transcend media and entice new audience members into its grasp. Four dimension literary entanglement is quite the sight to behold.

This is also the version that made Colin Firth the subject of many panty moistening sessions. I wish I was kidding, but there are moments of this presentation that function as a Voight-Kampff test for chick lit nerds. That being said, there’s also the dedication to the costumes and sets to behold. I love the Joe Wright version and I think Keira Knightley knocked it out of the park. That being said, I’m a dude and I’m not the target audience for this Keepsake Edition. There is a vibrant and lively fanbase made up of women that would think of nothing better than to travel back to the Napoleonic era and live like this. This is for them and not for my classic television appreciating self. But, whatever is?

The Blu-Ray comes with over an hour of never before seen material. The 1080p transfer is really cleaned up for a TV adaptation that has made multiple trips to home video. The LPCM 2.0 track is expected for the era and source material. However, I wouldn’t have minded some better mixing in the front channels. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to all Austenites.

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!

PRINCESS TWINS OF LEGENDALE, THE

Blu-ray reviews

TroyAnderson

January 23, 2014

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOX:

From MGA Entertainment, the creators of Lalaloopsy, comes an enchanted movie adventure. Sheltered in the land of Eternal Daylight, Princess Dawn dreams of a world beyond the palace. Certain the forbidden Night World holds the key to her past, Dawn embarks on a mystical moonlit adventure and discovers that the two worlds were divided by an evil sorceress. The kingdom’s only hope is revealed when Dawn encounters her twin sister Eve and they realize that they alone hold the power to unite the kingdom. With spellbinding music by the award-winning singer/songwriter Kara DioGuardi, Princess Twins of Legendale will capture your heart day and night!

FROM THE BACK OF MY BRAIN:

“The Princess Twins of Legendale” is a fun tale about Princess Dawn and Princess Eve. The twins grow apart and then they come back together over a love of their kingdom. It’s basic fairy tale stuff and it’s not going to floor your kids. That being said, the animation is rundown and the storytelling is blaise. It’s not the worst, but it works for what it is.

Kiddie entertainment is such an odd beast. You can’t go too highbrow or you lose the audience, but if you go too lowbrow and you’ve just confirmed the worst about what you’re doing. It’s genre slut shaming. The material is thin, but it keeps you going until the televised babysitter is off. I don’t have anything to compare to it, since watching the feature is on par with a session of that Ringu tape.

The DVD comes with no special features. The A/V Quality is pretty flat for what it is. But, I don’t think the target audience will mind. If they can see the Princess action and hear it, that’s all that matters. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to parents of young girls.

RELEASE DATE: 01/28/2014

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