DVD and Blu-ray

UK DVD & Blu-ray Releases: February 20th 2012 0 1887

Thoughts On Film - DVD Blu-ray releases Feb 20th

Pick of the Week

Warrior

Director: Gavin O’Connor

Writers: Gavin O’Connor, Anthony Tambakis, Cliff Dorman

Starring: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte.

Synopsis: Warrior centres around Tommy (Hardy) – an ex marine haunted by a tragic past, who enlists the help of his estranged father (Nick Nolte) to train up for the fight of his life. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path towards SPARTA – the biggest ‘winner takes all’ Mixed Martial Arts event in history. His brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, also returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. So when Brendan’s unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other – and the forces that pulled them apart – in the ultimate face off.

This sports movie meets family drama was unfairly compared to The Fighter upon its release but it mixes both ends of the spectrum better than that film in my eyes. It’s not exactly original but it just proves that if it’s well made then that lack of uniqueness doesn’t really matter. The actual fight scenes are genuinely exhilarating, each one better than the last. An involving and compelling film with some added dramatic weight.

Extras include:

  • Redemption: Bringing Warrior to Life Documentary (Blu-ray exclusive)
  • Brother Versus Brother: Anatomy of the Fight
  • Philosophy In Combat: Mixed Martial Arts Strategy
  • Simply Believe – A Tribute to Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis, Jr.
  • Audio commentar with filmmakers and actor Joel Edgerton.
  • The Diner: Deleted Scene (with optional commentary)
  • ‘Cheap Shots’ Gag Reel
Warrior DVD cover

Other Releases

Real Steel – This surprisingly enjoyable blockbuster from director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) is set in the near-future when robot boxing is the number one sport. Hugh Jackman stars as a struggling trainer who one day finds out he has an 11-year-old son who wants to spend time with him. It’s not reinventing the wheel but it does what it aims to do very well, making for a great family action film. Take note Michael Bay: this is what a movie about giant robots hitting each other should be!

Extras include:

  • Countdown to the fight – The Charlie Kenton Story (Blu-ray exclusive)
  • Making of Metal Valley
  • Building the Bots
  • Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornermans Champ (Blu-ray exclusive)
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes with introductions by director Shawn Levy (Blu-ray exclusive)
  • Extended ‘Meet Ambush’ (Blu-ray exclusive)
  • Deleted Butterfly Storyline (Blu-ray exclusive)
  • Bloopers
Real Steel DVD cover

 

Fright Night – The original 1985 film isn’t exactly a masterpiece but it has a sense of campy fun to it. Unfortunately same can’t be said for this lacklustre remake in which Colin Farrell’s admittedly effective vampire is about the only thing worth watching it for. A lot of the attempts at self-poking humour come off as forced and some dodgy special effects doesn’t help the film overall. Not a complete waste of time but this should have been much better.

(Extras info unavailable)

Fright Night DVD cover

 

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark – A clear case of a film not really knowing which audience it’s supposed to be aimed at. It appears to be aimed at kids with its, at times, Gremlins-like scary-but-not-too-much style but then it will turn violent and nasty, making it completely unsuitable for the younger viewers. Some nice moments in there, and you can feel the great Guillermo Del Toro’s presence around the film, but it builds towards a disappointingly ridiculous ending making for an overall unsatisfying experience.

Extras include:

  • A Look Behind the Horror – The Story, The Build, The Creatures
  • Character Profiles – Interviews with Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce and Bailee Madison
  • Teaser & theatrical trailers.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark DVD cover

 

Miss Bala – This Mexican film received pretty much universal acclaim. Tells the story of a beauty queen chasing her dreams amidst a society dominated by organized crime. I haven’t seen this one yet myself but am very much looking forward to it.

(Extras info unavailable)

Miss Bala DVD cover

 

Repo Man – The cult 1984 noir/sci-fi film finally hits Blu-ray via the Masters of Cinema series. It stars Emilio Estevez as a young punk rocker who is hired to repossess cars but before long strange things start to happen. A flick beloved by many, this Blu-ray release should more than satisfy fans.

Extras (specially approved by the director) include:

  • New high-definition master in the original aspect ratio 1.85:1
  • Original mono soundtrack and 5.1 remix, both in DTS-HD Master Audio
  • English SDH subtitles on the main feature
  • Isolated music and effects track
  • Audio commentary with Cox and executive producer Michael Nesmith, casting director Victoria Thomas, and actors Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss, and Del Zamora
  • All-new 2012 video piece by Cox offering further thoughts on the film
  • Repo Man (entire TV version) this legendary variant, prepared by Cox for network television, incorporates deleted material and surreal overdubs in place of profanity
  • Repossessed a retrospective video piece on the making of the film, featuring Cox, producers Peter McCarthy and Jonathan Wacks, and actors Del Zamora, Sy Richardson, and Dick Rude
  • The Missing Scenes a roundtable viewing of deleted scenes from the film with Cox, executive producer Michael Nesmith, real-life neutron bomb inventor Sam Cohen, and character “J. Frank Parnell”
  • Harry Zen Stanton an extended interview with the legendary actor
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • A 44-page full colour booklet specially created by Cox, entitled The Repo Code and incorporating all manner of Repo ephemera

Repo Man Blu-ray cover

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Which of these releases will you be spending your money on (if any)?

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I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features. I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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DVD Review: Demons 1 & 2 0 2673

Demons 1 and 2 DVD

After more than a quarter of a century since the release of both Demons and its sequel Demons 2 (or Demoni and Demoni 2 to use the original Italian-language names) they have finally been released on special edition DVD and Blu-ray. Fully restored and remastered straight from the original prints the releases are available via Arrow Video, who make it their mission to highlight and celebrate cult films by giving them special home releases.

MOVIES

For those who are fans of the films already then this is your chance to experience them in a far superior format – with dramatically improved picture and sound. By nature of the time and budget of when they were made then they didn’t look pristine to begin with, but you’ll be glad to hear the restoration is very good, or as good as you can get from such movies.

The first Demons is the superior of the two mainly because of its killer premise: A group of people are invited by a mysterious masked stranger to a special movie screening. They think they are safe sitting in their seats because, after all, it’s just movie, right? Wrong. Suddenly all hell breaks loose when the world of the demons on-screen becomes a reality within the cinema when one of the patron gets infected and transforms into one of the monsters. The survivors of the initial onslaught then have to battle the demons and try to escape to the building which unbeknownst to them has been barricaded.

I smell a remake…

Demons screenshot

Demons definitely sits as part of the schlocky horror movies the ’80s was famous for, with all the hammy acting and ridiculousness that goes along with that. But where Demons stands head and shoulders above a lot of other similar movies is in the make-up effects and the sheer sense of “hyper-terror” it conveys. Created by Sergio Stivaletti, the make-up effects – with the exception of a few details here and there – are truly fantastic in their goriness and absolutely stand the test of time. They’re the kind of effects that are horrifying but at the same time you can’t help but stare at them – whether it be a man getting his throat ripped open or one of the demons grotesquely transforming, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by the craftsmanship on display.

The plot of Demons 2 switches from the cinema to a simple apartment building (much less of a hook), and this time the world of the demons transcends out of a regular TV screen and into the normal lives of an unsuspecting group of residents and party-goers.

Demons 2 isn’t quite at the level of the first one, suffering from a more generic storyline, and if anything the ridiculousness hurts the film where it didn’t the first time around. However, the impressive make-up effects are still to be found here and this time around things are stepped up a notch in that department. One sequence in particular involves a demon climbing out of the TV as a mesmerized woman stares on and it’s quite a sight to behold, let me tell you. Apparently it was done with practical effects and if that’s true then it’s even more impressive because of how much it emulates CGI.

demons 2

EXTRAS

The main attraction for fans of the movies with this release, out with actually watching the movies themselves, is the fact that you get a comic book entitled Demons 3, a different format sequel/prequel to the first two movies.

It is the 16th Century, the time of the plague in Southern France. Amid the carnage, a new evil is starting to take form and only Nostradamus can see it. Are his horrifying visions of the future signs of what will come to pass? Can he stop the demons from taking over the world? Demons 3 is an all-new epic tale of demonic decapitation written by Stefan Hutchinson and Barry Keating, with artwork by Jeff Zornow and Peter Fielding.

As an extra bonus on top of the Demons 3 comic you also get interchangeable cover artwork for both movies which is a nice touch for the avid collectors out there.

Demons DVD Extra Features

  • Audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Special Make-Up Creations Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
  • Audio recollections of the cast and crew, a brand new commentary [2011]
  • Dario’s Demon Days: Producer Dario Argento discusses the inception of Demons
  • Defining an Era in Music: Composer Claudio Simonetti on the Demons Soundtrack
  • Luigi Cozzi’s Top Italian Terrors: Cozzi discusses the highpoints of Spaghetti Splatter

Demons 2 DVD Extra Features

  • The audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Mechanical Creations & Transformation Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
  • Creating Creature Carnage: Extensive Interview with makeup man Sergio Stivaletti
  • Bava to Bava: Luigi Cozzi tracks the history of the Italian horror film; from Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava to the end of the golden age with Michele Soavi and Lamberto Bava as well as considering recent Italian horror films.

The interviews are mainly your generic talking heads style with footage spliced in between. While the various related folks discussing the movies in retrospect is interesting, it nonetheless would have been nice to get some more in-depth making of stuff, particular in relation to the special make-up effects. To be fair such footage may not even exist but something more than just talking heads interviews would have added a bit more to an otherwise great double release.

Demons 1 and 2 DVD

As a double-bill of over-the-top ’80s horror you’d be hard pressed to find a more fun schlocky ride. Whether you’re a long-time fan looking to revisit or you’re a newcomer looking to experience them for the first time, this re-release offers the best possible opportunity while adding some solid extras to back it up.

Demons & Demons 2 are available now separately on DVD and Blu-ray as well as part of a Steelbook combo pack. Order from Amazon.

Booked Out DVD Review 1 2295

MOVIE

From first time writer/director Bryan O’Neil we have Booked Out, a ridiculously charming and loveable little film about human connection, the lasting effect an event can have on someone and the general quirks of everyday life.

Nowhere are those quirks manifested more than in Ailidh (Mirren Burke), an artist who loves taking Polaroid photographs of her neighbours. One of the people she spies on his Jacob (Rollo Weeks), a young man who keeps visiting a mysterious and seemingly disturbed woman across the hall from her. Ailidh tries to get close to Jacob and all the while the two of them help an upstairs neighbour, Mrs Nicholls, to cope with the death of her husband.

Bolstered by a terrific, upbeat original score by Derek Yau and Mark West, Booked Out is quirky and off-beat but in an honest way. Its charm comes inherently from its characters and the witty script, moving effortlessly from delightful small-talk and small adventures – such as when Ailidh and Jacob go to a fancy dress party as “animals that doesn’t exist” – to actually being about something deeply real.

The latter aspect comes in two forms; Jacob dealing with a girl, Jacqueline, we don’t really know much about who doesn’t say much and appears both absent and clingy at the same time (achieved by an enigmatic performance from Claire Garvey), and the two leads helping out the lovable but troubled Mrs. Nicholls (played wonderfully by Sylvia Syms) who still believes her husband is alive. One scene in particular personifies the nature of the film as a whole in which Jacob has to speak French (the little of it he knows anyway) to an empty armchair which Mrs Nicholls believes her husband is sitting in. Ailidh keeps up this charade because she has a fondness for her upstairs neighbour, while Jacob seems to do it out of politeness more than anything else.

The two leads are great to watch together, Weeks’ awkwardness and shyness as Jacob off-set by the burst of energy and the ray of sunshine that is Burke’s Ailidh (Burke’s first feature performance here definitely makes her one to watch for the future).Their opposing natures which are somehow perfectly matched evokes Harold and Maude – whether that was international or not, that’s how it comes across.

The cinematography by Jordan Cushing gives the film a Summery feel for the most part, only changing to a dimmer, bleaker view whenever Jacob goes to visit Jacqueline or in some scenes with Mrs Nicholls. In this way we have a “mood stone” effect where the look and feel matches the tone of the scene at hand.

Although it takes a little while to find its feet, once it starts to mingle together its quirkiness with genuine heart, scratching away at the surface of what we assume is going on from the start, Booked Out really works. Sure to be one of the most charming indie movies of 2012, this is the type of intimate, funny and subtly involving film that gives the British film industry a good name.

EXTRAS

The DVD doesn’t exactly contain an exhaustive amount of special features, however there’s enough there to add to the experience of the film. Along with the usual audio commentary (with the director and Director of Photography) and trailer, we also have a series of short interviews with the cast including Mirren Burke, Rollo Weeks, Claire Garvey and Sylvia Syms, though it would have been nice to have one with writer/director Bryan O’Neil himself as well. There’s also some deleted scenes (with optional commentary with O’Neil) adding up to around 18 minutes – one scene in particular entitled “Treacle seduces Bookwork-man” I actually felt could have stayed in the film.

[youtube id=”g6fTaaoL3Vo” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Booked Out is out on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on March 12th.