THE PLOT THUS FAR

The FRANKENSTEIN: THE REAL STORY collection from HISTORY examines how the tale of a brilliant but deranged scientist who builds a grotesque monster from the body parts of fresh corpses has its roots in reality. IN SEARCH OF THE REAL FRANSKENSTEIN looks at scientists throughout history who experimented with reviving animal and human corpses to find the secret force of life. FRANKENSTEIN explores the fact-or-fiction origins of the tale that became the first science fiction novel. IT’S ALIVE! THE TRUE STORY OF FRANKENSTEIN further traces the story through all its artistic renditions, from 19th-century stage adaptations to 1930s silent films to Mel Brooks’s satirical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and Kenneth Branagh’s faithful horror interpretation. This spectacular set features interviews with actors including Gene Wilder and experts on Mary Shelley, the 19th-century novel, the horror genre, cinema makeup and much more.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Frankenstein: The Real Story” is an excellent documentary from The History Channel about the history of Frankenstein’s Monster. It borrows heavily on film clips from bigger productions, but there’s a nice amount of focus on the literary legacy. Outside of that, it’s about what you would expect. Gene Wilder got interviewed for this and it’s a constant reminder that the guy is aging like he ran over a gypsy’s kid. Too much of the later docs in the special features focus on the aesthetics rather than the history. But, that feels trivial when you consider that you’re getting three hours of content from History Channel. That’s pretty impressive for those guys.

The Blu-Ray comes with featurettes and bonus documentaries. The standard definition transfer is sharp for a documentary. The Dolby 2.0 audio track works for what it is. Still, people aren’t showing this film off in home theaters. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to Frankenstein buffs.

RELEASE DATE: 01/14/2014

THE PLOT THUS FAR

When the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“You’re Next” is a home invasion tale. The film can also be seen as a dark comedy. Well, that is if you consider “Last House on the Left” to be a comedy. Both films have moments of hell bound chuckles, but that’s about it. The Davison family are interesting to watch and they help to sell the controversial ending. That being said, this isn’t what you expect. If anything, it plays as an excellent crime drama with some horrific gore. But, I don’t want to give anything away.

Horror is so odd. If you push too hard, you’re trying to make a gore filled romp that is going to ruin society. If you don’t push hard enough, then it’s a waste of time that might as well be filed under thriller or suspense. I love genre bending and I see that “You’re Next” tries its hardest to sell that love. But, it’s only natural that it will be a hard push for horror fans that are far more acclimated to found footage movies. Even the immediacy of the kills are done in such a way as not to glamorize the action. All brutal attacks are close-up and done in a way to seem realistic.

The Blu-Ray comes with a digital copy, DVD copy, featurette, commentaries and trailer. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track helped to make the enclosed house attacks come to life. The 1080p transfer is superb with the dark rich field of depth coming to life. It’s amazing, but it’s not dynamic. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.

RELEASE DATE: 01/14/2014

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Miles Montego has it all. Including a past. He was king of the streets as a high-level drug trafficker, and although he has tried to move on, the DEA isn’t convinced. Miles is still rolling with his old friends, and the feds are certain he has not fully retired from his criminal past. When Miles meets Vanessa, a woman who is different than every other woman he’s met, he is drawn to her beauty and her spirituality. As their connection grows deeper, both are tested to their last ounce of faith in God and in each other.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“I’m in Love with a Church Girl” is awful. The church girl is some sort of telepath that can read Ja Rule’s mind and answer all of his questions. It’s not long before she’s knee deep in his life and calling the shots. A litany of C-grade African American and Italian celebrities show up to read a few lines and leave. But, there’s something amazing going on. The direction and plot makes it feel like someone finally merged Tommy Wiseau and Tyler Perry into one ideal person.

There is something amazing about how ethnic cinema has produced such massive entertainment for hipsters. The film wants to be a crime movie, a budding romance and a serious look at the need for religion among the inner city dwellers. The end result is something that is as pious as it is sanctimonious. I couldn’t stop laughing, but I realize that there is a fan base that will eat this shit up. Then, there’s the hipsters that grab their Pabst and head down to keep Tyler Perry in ducats during the opening weekend.

The Blu-Ray comes with featurettes and deleted scenes. The 1080p transfer is sharp for an indie production. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track works for what it is. Still, people aren’t showing this film off in home theaters. In the end, I’d recommend an ironic purchase.

RELEASE DATE: 01/14/2014

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Jean-Luc Godard’s densely packed rumination on the need to create order and beauty in a world ruled by chaos is divided into four distinct but tangentially related stories, including the attempts by a young group of idealists to stage a play in war-torn Sarajevo and an elderly director’s efforts to complete his film.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“For Ever Mozart” is so self-indulgent that it seems more like a Film School project. Godard is continuing to replay themes that he has been working on since the late 1960s. The difference is that he’s now an old man hiding behind pretension to pass off his artistic farts. On the commentary track, Hal Hartley tries to frame a lot of the choices. But, it still comes across as a director outlasting his prime. As the years go on, I’m starting to agree more and more with what Tarantino said about aging directors. There are several exceptions to the rule, however Godard is not one of them.

Godard in the last few decades has been more miss than hit. While I like how awkward his King Lear was, most of the choices seem to have arrived from interference via Cannon Films. The movies that were left unfiltered either benefited from controversy or the fact they were seldom seen. If you have a new Godard fan in your life, I wouldn’t bring this out first. Hell, I wouldn’t bring out anywhere in the Top 10. This is an arthouse flick that you have to build up to, it might be too much for most cinephiles.

The Blu-Ray comes with featurettes, commentary, booklet and a trailer. The LPCM 2.0 track holds up better than I expected. Still, it’s lossy. At least the 1080p transfer was strong. I say this having never seen the film prior to home video. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to Godard fans.

RELEASE DATE: 01/07/2014

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Hold on to your hunting hats! The Robertsons are back in Season 4 of Duck Dynasty^® and they’ve have never had so much Southern charm.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Duck Dynasty” is an oddity of a show, when you don’t bother to investigate its creation. But, let’s go out of our way to forget the events of the last two weeks and examine the ten episodes presented here. Basically, Jesus and rednecks team up to hunt water fowl with forced sitcom shenanigans. The cool one looks like the dude from My Morning Jacket and everyone else looks like you can taste their body odor before they enter a room. Let us all forget the hatchet job GQ Interview and remember that these guys are what they are.

The Robertson Family also inspires a lot of people who feel threatened by the last two decades of progress. In their minds, this is a real world attempt at creating a Mayberry that can turn a blind eye to racial and gender politics. It’s fun to watch Phil try to teach his granddaughter to fish, after he told men to marry teenage girls. One has to place the scene into context, but the episode ends before it gets creepy. I was enjoying how the material was treading towards a backwoods Lynchian tale. The rest of the season seems to be the guys betting and people learning how to cook rural grub. Laughs are had, while the coastal Americans slowly realize that there is a sizable population that rejects everything they believe.

The Blu-Ray comes with unseen material, deleted scenes and webisodes. The A/V Quality sports a dynamic DTS-HD 2.0 master audio track. The 1080p transfer is a little flat for HD and dry. It’s not the worse, but it stands out. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase to fans.

RELEASE DATE: 01/07/2014