Blu-Ray Review: SLUGS

Michael Garfield, Kim Terry, Philip MacHale, Alicia Noro, Santiago Albarez, Emilio Linder, John Battaglia. Directed by Juan Piquer Simon. (1988, 99 min).
ARROW FILMS

Pity poor David Watson (Emilio Linder) and his cursed luck. He comes home hoping for a nice steak dinner, but since his lush of a wife has been drinking all day, all he gets is salad. David still gets a bit of meat in his diet, though, since she unwittingly chops up a large slug along with the lettuce. Later, while wining and dining potential clients, fate gives this hapless bastard another kick in the ass: Just as he’s celebrating a huge business deal, thousands of writhing parasites burst from his face. It’s easily the most disgusting scene in a movie rife with them.

That’s the modus operandi of Slugs, one of the ickier exploitation flicks to ooze onto video shelves (no pun intended) during the 80s. Legions of mutated mollusks have invaded a small Northeastern town, chowing down on horny teenagers, drunks, boaters, unfortunate gardeners and everyone else who don’t seem to realize slugs are easy to outrun. Then again, what would be the fun in that?

And never mind the fact that turning a slug into a salad topping would never, by any stretch of the imagination, result in thousands of worms squirting from a guy’s eye. Sure looks cool, though. And, of course, not even our hero, health inspector Mike Brady (Michael Garfield) thinks to keep a few big-ass salt shakers at-the-ready for these slimy stand-offs (not when you have explosives handy).

Om-nom-nom

Slugs forgoes such logic because it doesn’t need it. We can also forgive the poor performances, daffy dialogue and questionable dubbing (this was an America-Spanish co-production). Why? Because slugs are inherently gross, the movie knows that, and plays it’s premise to the hilt. Slugs is never particularly scary, but the “eeew” factor is off the charts. This nasty, squirm-in-your-seat movie has a mean streak a mile wide, backed-up by some truly nauseating special effects that might put squeamish viewers off their lunch (though the finger-biting slug is rather chuckle-worthy).

Because of that, the movie works.

Though not as widely remembered as many other cult classics from the 80s, Arrow Films has gone all-out to give Slugs a terrific Blu-Ray release. Not only is the picture nicely restored, the disc comes with a lot of great extras, including four brand new featurettes. Fans of the film will enjoy the retrospective interviews and kitschy trailers.

As for newcomers, grab some salt and a beer and get ready for a goofy & gross good time. Slugs will never be mistaken for a great film, but it is great fun. I’d probably avoid eating anything, though.

EXTRA KIBBLES:
4 FEATURETTES:
“The Lyons Den” (A tour of filming locations in the small American town where most of the exteriors were shot)
“Invasion USA” (Interview with art director Gonzalo Gonzalo)
“Here’s Slugs in Your Eye” (Interview with actor Emilio Linder, who seems like a charming fellow. Looks like his eye has healed nicely)
“They Slime, They Ooze, They Kill” (Interview with SFX artist Carlo De Marchis, who has nothing but praise for the director, equating his talent with Spielberg’s)
Audio Commentary by filmmaker Chris Alexander
1988 Goya Award Promo Reel
Original Trailer
Illustrated Booklet (Not included with this screener)
Reversible Cover Sleeve with New & Original Artwork (Not included with this screener)

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD (and gross) SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Movie News: SLEEPLESS - BRAND NEW TRAILER Starring Jamie Foxx

The OFFICIAL TRAILER for Open Road Films' upcoming action-thriller SLEEPLESS has arrived. Jamie Foxx stars as an undercover Las Vegas police officer who will go to extreme lengths to rescue his teenage son from the mob-controlled casino underground. Take a look at the high-stakes trailer here and catch #SleeplessMovie in theaters this spring! 

SLEEPLESS stars Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained, White House Down) as undercover Las Vegas police officer Vincent Downs, who is caught in a high stakes web of corrupt cops and the mob-controlled casino underground. When a heist goes wrong, a crew of homicidal gangsters kidnaps Downs’ teenage son. In one sleepless night he will have to rescue his son, evade an internal affairs investigation and bring the kidnappers to justice.

CAST: Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, Dermot Mulroney, Gabrielle Union, David Harbour, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Scoot McNairy, Octavius J. Johnson

 

Official Movie Website: SleeplessMovie.com

Official Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/SleeplessMovie

Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SleeplessMovie

Official Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/sleeplessmovie

CD Review: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

Music by James Horner and Simon Franglen. (2016, 76 min).
SONY CLASSICAL

Well, here it is...the last film score the late, great James Horner was ever involved with. He’ll truly be missed. Like other modern-era masters such as John Williams and Hans Zimmer, Horner’s unique compositional style and approach put an instantly recognizable stamp on every film he worked on, regardless of the genre.

He passed away before he could finish scoring The Magnificent Seven. It was completed by one of his longtime collaborators, Simon Franglen, but you can’t really tell. And taken as a whole, this album is...well, magnificent.

Running 76 minutes and consisting of 25 tracks, the score is appropriately rousing, tense and exciting. Many pieces definitely sound like the type of music we commonly associate with westerns, and some would even sound at-home accompanying the 1960 version of the film. At the same time, the whole score has a modern feel that suits the remake well.

The Magnificent Seven is one of the better mainstream film scores released on disc this year. While it’s sad knowing this is James Horner’s swan song, at least his amazing career ended on a high note. I think Elmer Bernstein would approve.

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Blu-Ray News: ROGER CORMAN'S DEATH RACE 2050 Coming January 17, 2017

Make way for the return of Frankenstein when ROGER CORMAN'S DEATH RACE 2050 arrives on to Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on January 17, 2017 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment! 

Watch the all new trailer here:

Blu-Ray Review: MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES

Starring Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root, Sugar Lyn Beard, Sam Richardson, Stephanie Farcy, Alice Wetterlund. Directed by Jake Szymanski. (2016, 98 min).
20TH CENTURY FOX

Being that similar comedies released so far this year have been insultingly abysmal (looking at you, Dirty Grandpa & Neighbors 2), my expectations for Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates weren’t exactly lofty. After all, how many more raunchy, gross-out comedies did we really need, anyway? And yet another one with Zac Efron! Didn’t these cease being funny a long time ago?

So even though I approached this disc with my usual amount of cynicism and trepidation for this sort of thing, something unusual happened:

I laughed...sometimes out loud.

For someone who still considers Animal House to be the Star Wars of this little subgenre, I was somewhat surprised. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates isn’t what anyone would call clever (hell, the title tells all). The thing is loaded with the usual checklist of f-bombs, drugs, booze, dick jokes, sex gags, nudity and over-the-top slapstick. Nor is any of it remotely original. We’ve seen countless films where the protagonists are dumb slobs whose stunted maturity and irresponsible behavior is the driving force of the story.

I guess the big difference is the characters themselves are enjoyable (even when they‘re being douche bags). As the title characters, Zac Efron & Adam Devine are inseparable, hard-parting brothers, neither of whom are the brightest crayons in the box. They also have a habit of ruining family get-togethers by causing chaos and hitting on all the single women. Their father (Stephen Root) insists they bring actual dates to the next event, their sister Jeanie’s wedding in Hawaii. So they place an ad on Craigslist looking for nice girls. Instead, Alice & Tatiana (Anna Kendrick & Aubrey Plaza), both hard-partiers themselves, show up. Alice is still upset over being left at the alter on her wedding day; Tatiana is as conniving as she is irresponsible. After being fired, they look at the wedding date offer as a free vacation.

No prize for guessing what transpires once everyone gets to Hawaii.

"Seriously, Zac...how many movies like this are you gonna do?"

It’s as predictable as the tide, but like someone who knows how to tell a good joke, the key is in the delivery. We’ve seen violent slapstick before. We've seen situational misunderstandings played for laughs. We’ve seen people ingest drugs at the worst possible moment. We’ve seen ‘funny’ sex scenes and characters who exist just to say outrageous things. But unlike, say, Neighbors, Matt and Dave Need Wedding Dates seldom plays like a series of isolated sketches clumsily squeezed together because someone felt a vomit gag was required. When Jeanie gets struck in the face by an ATV, it has an actual impact on the plot, as does the ‘special’ therapeutic message she receives later (which might be the funniest scene in the entire movie). When Mike and Dave ultimately end up fighting each other (verbally & physically), it’s rendered more amusing and believable because the film took the time to establish them as like-minded idiots.

ONE OF THE FILM'S DELETED SCENES (Courtesy of 20th Century Fox):

Not everything works. Some gags do go on a tad longer than they should, Alice Wetterlund as the brothers' in-your-face lesbian cousin is an out-of-place caricature and the final scene (a musical number) is brazenly pandering and stupid. I could have also done without all the constant title-dropping references to other movies. For the most part, however, the film hits its targets more often than it misses.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates isn’t gonna save Hollywood or anything, but it’s quite good for what it is: an congenial, enjoyably raunchy comedy. It may bring nothing new to the table in this already crowded subgenre, but what can I say? It rubbed me the right way and I laughed a lot, sometimes in spite of myself.

EXTRA KIBBLES:
FEATURETTES: “Funny or Die” Shorts (3 amusing - but fake - behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast); “Bits on Bits on Bits” & “Line-O-Rama” (Similar segments featuring some on-the-set improvisation)
Deleted/Extended Scenes
Audio Commentary (featuring the director)
Gag Reel
Gallery
DVD & Digital Copies

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Blu-Ray News: ROGER CORMAN'S DEATH RACE 2050 Official Poster

 Gear up and strap in for Roger Corman's Death Race 2050 at New York Comic Con! An all new poster will be made exclusively available at NYCC on Thursday, October 6 during an autograph signing with producer Roger Corman and star Manu Bennett. The signing is set to take place from 5:15pm to 6:15pm at Autograph Table 20. 

  ROGER CORMAN’S DEATH RACE 2050 ARRIVES ON BLU-RAY™, DVD, AND DIGITAL HD IN 2017  

SYNOPSIS
In the not-too-distant future, America is controlled by an all-powerful corporate government that keeps the masses placated with violent virtual-reality entertainment. The event of the year is the Death Race, where a motley assortment of drivers compete in a cross-country road race, scoring points for running down pedestrians and killing each other. The reigning champion and popular favorite is half-man, half-machine Frankenstein — but little does he know he’s taken on a rebel spy as his co-pilot.

MIKE & DAVE'S Guide to Being the LIFE OF THE PARTY

Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates is now out on 4K UHD, DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital HD from 20th Century Fox.

 

Blu-Ray Review: BANSHEE - THE COMPLETE FOURTH (and final) SEASON

Starring Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Hoon Lee, Matt Servitto, Lili Simmons, Matthew Rauch, Tom Pelphrey, Chris Coy, Eliza Dushku. Various Directors. (2016, 480 min).
HBO / CINEMAX

And so ends the most deliriously insane show on television. Cinemax had announced prior to this fourth season that it would be the last. While I’m sorry to see it go, at least it gives Banshee the chance to go out with a bang.

Boy, does it ever.

Season Four doesn’t stop to pick up new passengers, either. If you aren’t up-to-speed on what’s transpired during the past three seasons (especially the last one), you will be completely lost. There’s too much story left to tell and only eight episodes to do it. While there are numerous flashbacks, they pop up to let viewers in on what’s happened with most of these characters since the end of Season Three, such as the murder of Proctor’s niece, Rebecca, at the hands of a serial killer. Now Banshee’s mayor (he ran unopposed), Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) uses his position and mob muscle to exact revenge. It’s revealed that Lucas Hood (Antony Starr) also has good reasons for tracking down the killer, and not just because he’s a suspect. Later, arrogant and reckless FBL agent (Eliza Dushku) shows up to team with Hood to find the killer (even though he’s no longer the sheriff).

One of Banshee's quiet moments.

Meanwhile, we learn the fate of Job, who was abducted during the military base heist at the end of last season. Hood and Carrie had previously spent 18 months trying to find him, and had more-or-less given up. One of Season Three’s developing plot threads involved a group of batshit crazy neo-Nazis. Now they have formed an uneasy partnership with Proctor to make Banshee the leading drug distributor on the East Coast. As for Carrie (Ivana Milicevic), she’s lost custody of her kids and has become something of a local vigilante, repeatedly attacking Proctor’s nefarious businesses after the death of her husband.

Again, if you aren’t already up-to-speed, too bad. For everyone else, Season Four delivers its usual quota of twists, guns, fights, blood, sex and disreputable nastiness we’ve grown to love about the show. Best of all, the finale brings it all to a satisfying conclusion. So don’t mourn Banshee’s passing. Be happy we now have four solid seasons of everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mayhem to revisit again and again.

EXTRA KIBBLES:
FEATURETTES: "Zoomed In" (Making-of documentaries for every episode); “Cast Retrospective” (Several cast members recall their favorite fight scenes and Job’s costumes).
"Banshee Origins" - Several prequel webisodes which take place before the events of the series. For fans, this is the best of the bonus features.
Deleted Scenes
Numerous Audio Commentaries

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

Blu-Ray Review: INTO THE FOREST

Starring Ellen Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Max Mingella, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Eklund. Directed by Patricia Rozema. (2015, 101 min).
LIONSGATE

An apocalyptic art film? I don’t know if I’d go that far, though writer/director Patricia Rozema makes this feel like one. But at its heart, Into the Forest is simply a tale of the bonds of sisterhood. It also happens to take place as modern civilization is coming to an end.

Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood are Nell and Eva, two young sisters who live in a remote cabin with their widowed father. When an unexplained worldwide blackout occurs, Dad decides staying put is the best course of action, which doesn’t initially sit too well with his daughters; Nell has a boyfriend in town, while Eva’s budding dance career is put on hold. When their Dad dies in an accident, the two are alone to fend for themselves, forced to ration their supplies. As the months pass, Nell & Eva slowly learn to accept the power is never coming back (despite hopeful rumors) and must personally evolve in order to survive on their own.

Though the global blackout is the catalyst for this story, Into the Forest is not your usual post-apocalyptic epic. It’s mostly an low-key, intimate look at how these two learn to live, not just with each other, but with elements which threaten their lives (both natural and human). With every incident threatening their survival, their relationship grows stronger, one of them sort-of assuming a more parental role. The film may not be action-packed, but it's harrowing at times, particularly when a casual acquaintance from town shows up and violently changes their lives forever. Both Wood and Page are good in their roles. Page as the younger sister is particularly interesting, as we see her slow transition from a vulnerable waif to the more responsible and mature of the two.

This is what happens when you stray from the Yellow Brick Road.

The film is pretty deliberately paced and writer/director Patricia Rozena is far more interested in the characters than the premise, even if they aren’t always doing something interesting. In fact, despite a few intense moments, we aren’t always as emotionally involved with their plight as we should be. And even though the film draws us into their predicament, it isn’t really until the final act that we feel life and death is at stake. Then again, maybe we aren’t supposed to.

Into the Forest is, for the most part, well-made and offers a scenario that seems plausible, with fallible characters who never resort to behaving stupidly (unless the story requires one to). While not a feel-good movie by any stretch, it’s ultimately an optimistic film, even uplifting at times, a far cry from your usual world-ender.

EXTRA KIBBLES:
FEATURETTE: “The Making of Into the Forest”
Audio Commentary with Director Patricia Rozema
Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray Review: LABYRINTH - 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Starring David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly. Directed by Jim Henson. (1986, 101 min).
SONY

People tend to forget that few of Jim Henson’s ventures outside of his Muppets were all that successful. Labyrinth was a flat-out box office disaster, pretty much ending his film career. But like The Wizard of Oz (Henson’s obvious inspiration), it finally found an audience on home video, where it grew in stature to be one of those beloved movies an entire generation of 80s babies grew up with. This gorgeously-packaged 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray is obviously intended for those with a nostalgic fondness for this film, or David Bowie at the peak of his popularity.

Nostalgia’s the key word here, because while the Blu-Ray transfer is terrific, Labyrinth is definitely a product of its time. Aesthetically, it hasn’t aged quite as well as Henson’s The Dark Crystal. The look and sound of this film - right down to Travor Jones’ score and David Bowie’s songs - practically screams 1980s. For longtime fans, many of whom will want to share this with their own kids, that’s probably part of its charm (I'd be interested to know if your kids concur).

As the Goblin King dances, his friends awkwardly try to avoid staring at his extremities.

While I was never a tremendous fan of Henson’s work that wasn't Muppet-related, it’s easy to appreciate his earnestness. Labyrinth isn’t as narratively interesting or original as The Dark Crystal, but Henson’s visual creativity is here in abundance. Viewed in the context of when it was made, it’s quite amazing what filmmakers used to accomplish without CGI. At the same time, I was sort-of saddened watching this, knowing both Henson and Bowie both passed away well before their time, not-to-mention the fact that fantasy films aren’t really made this way anymore, where creatures and sets were the work of hands-on artists rather than a roomful of computer nerds.

"Look what I found in my pants. No wonder everyone was staring."

For die hard fans who own a previous version, this 30th Anniversary Edition disc is still probably worth the purchase. In addition to the impressive packaging (including a colorful 26 page booklet with photos, interviews, original bios and essays), there are quite a few brand new bonus features included especially for this release.

EXTRA KIBBLES:

FEATURETTES:
“Reordering Time: Looking Back at Labyrinth”
“The Henson Legacy”
“Remembering The Goblin King”
“Inside the Labyrinth” (making-of documentary)
“Journey Through the Labyrinth: Kingdom of Characters & the Quest for Goblin City”

Audio Commentary by Brian Froud (conceptual designer)
Labyrinth Anniversary Q&A
Theatrical Trailer
Digital Copy

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD. THE FILM HASN'T AGED TOO WELL, BUT LONGTIME FANS SHOULD GET A NOSTALGIC KICK OUT OF IT