Tuesday August 25, 2009 Children Can Watch All The Filthy DVDs They Want!
Turns out there's some sort of loophole in the law that governs flogging 18-certificate movies to kiddies...
Thursday August 20, 2009 The Blu-ray bargain bin!
Amazon.co.uk has gone nuts! It's slashed prices on some of the latest Blu-ray blockbusters including JJ Abram's awesome Star Trek reboot and that idiot McG's slightly less good Terminator movie. We highly recommend you get pre-ordering...
Wednesday August 19, 2009 Banned By The BBFC, Reviewed By Us
Not that we were aware at the time of going to press on Issue 132, but J-horror Grotesque has been banned by the BBFC.
According to BBC News: "Grotesque presented "little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism". Its "unacceptable content", added BBFC director David Cooke, meant cuts were "not a viable option"."
That's not far off what we said, on page 67: "Torture porn meets actual porn in this bizarre Japanese grot-horror with nipple-snipping, eye-gouging and a scene that begins: "First, I’ll nail the balls." Grotesque is exploitation crap pinned to the tale of a kidnapped couple tortured in a basement. Mercifully short, it’s painfully slow but also occasionally hilarious." Two stars - and no extras!
We suspect our check disc might be worth something now... but in the best interests of common decency, we won't be eBaying it.
According to BBC News: "Grotesque presented "little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism". Its "unacceptable content", added BBFC director David Cooke, meant cuts were "not a viable option"."
That's not far off what we said, on page 67: "Torture porn meets actual porn in this bizarre Japanese grot-horror with nipple-snipping, eye-gouging and a scene that begins: "First, I’ll nail the balls." Grotesque is exploitation crap pinned to the tale of a kidnapped couple tortured in a basement. Mercifully short, it’s painfully slow but also occasionally hilarious." Two stars - and no extras!
We suspect our check disc might be worth something now... but in the best interests of common decency, we won't be eBaying it.
JCVD V Quick!
As you'll know from Issue 131, we love us some Jean-Claude Van Damme here on DVD & Blu-ray Review, he being one of our Heroes Of Home Entertainment. And tonight he sets a new record, with perhaps the fastest theatrical-to-TV turnaround of all time. JCVD, his almost-arthouse movie released in the UK on 30 January (albeit in a very limited release at London's Prince Charles Cinema), is showing tonight on Five at 10.55pm, as part of their Seagal vs Van Damme season*. That's under eight months from silver screen to small screen - can anyone think of other films that have come around faster? And will you be watching? Let us know...
*If you haven't already seen the season's amazing trailer - which edits together images from 10 Seagal films with footage from Van Damme's The Shepherd: Border Patrol to make the screen rivals fight each other for the first time - check it out here.
*If you haven't already seen the season's amazing trailer - which edits together images from 10 Seagal films with footage from Van Damme's The Shepherd: Border Patrol to make the screen rivals fight each other for the first time - check it out here.
Tuesday August 18, 2009 BEWARE THE MOON!
In classic '80s horror flick An American Werewolf in London there's a fearful scene shot in Tottenham Court Road tube station. Being avid DVD & Blu-ray review readers you'll want to recreate that scene so here's a few pointers for you:
First recruit a hirsute friend to play the werewolf as you will take on the role of the doomed commuter.
Now make your way to the North-bound Northern line platform. In the film, the werewolf is lurking in the tunnel but Transport for London may not appreciate this attention to detail. We suggest you just conceal yourself behind the vandalized vending machine.
Also in the film, the victim is the only person that gets off the tube and is subsequently alone on the platform. Waiting for this scenario could take some time, probably best to just get on with it. Also, the average commuter will have seen much weirder things than your mate growling on all fours.
Now chase each other around for a bit and finally collapse on the escalator prior to being savaged. Be sure to keep to the right-hand side though so others can pass.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Thursday August 13, 2009 Killer poll
It's the age old question [if the age started in 1976 with The Omen - Ed]. Anyway, with an abundance of supernatural slashers and modern-day murderers to choose from, which one would be left standing after the bloodiest battle royale ever witnessed? Vote in our poll at the left of the page and help us decide!
Your choices are:
* Chucky
* The Critters
* Damien Thorn
* The Evil Dead
* Freddy
* The Graboids
* Jason
* Jigsaw
* Michael Myers
* Xtro
Monday August 10, 2009 DVD Monday: Fun and farewells
Cheer up Geldof! Another Monday, another boatload of DVDs released to the masses. Besides, there’s plenty to make you smile today.
Brilliantly-bonkers Norwegian comedy O'Horten (Artificial Eye) is out-crazied by mad-as-cheese Korean funfest The Fox Family. Meanwhile, the Efron (you don't need the Zac, there is only one Efron) is 17 Again, while Paul Blart - Mall Cop protects and serves up the laughs.
Even, ahem, serious action flick Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus manages to deliver a few chuckles, as Debbie Gibson (yes, that Debbie Gibson) watches the two ocean heavyweights battle it out.
In fact, the only blight on today’s frolics is the release of Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Fifth Season. Geeks everywhere will be crying into their Battlestar Galactica handkerchiefs (with the corners cut off) as the crew’s time on Atlantis comes to an end. Perhaps they should have brought Gibson aboard. Or fought bigger aquatic wildlife...
Monday August 03, 2009 DVD Monday: Today’s best releases
It’s Monday, which means the shops are full of gleaming DVD and Blu-rays once more. Here’s what should be saucering your eyes later today after a trip to the shops (or when the postie has delivered your online goodies, you modern-day shoppers you).
TV goes from the sublime to the ridiculous, as the guys who are born to folk return in Flight Of The Conchords: The Complete Second Season (Warner Home Video/HBO) and the recently-screened Psychoville: Series 1 (2 Entertain) weirds its way onto disc. Meanwhile, Bear Grylls proves that he’s a born survivor in the aptly named Bear Grylls: Born Survivor - Complete Season One (Demand), while anyone who didn’t Sky+ the Wimbledon 2009 Men's Final between Federer and Roddick can see it again courtesy of Target Entertainment.
In film, the big hitter is Nic Cage’s Knowing (E1 Entertainment), where a bit of paper predicts his future (no, it’s not his P45). Vamps also get a decent outing today, with Horne and Corden “comedy” Lesbian Vampire Killers and superior Swedish flick Let The Right One In both out today from Momentum Pictures.
Our favourite DVD today is West Bromwich Albion: Season Review 2008/09 - The Beautiful Game (Cornerstone Media). Optimistic titling for a team that got relegated last season...
High-def fans also have a good selection of Blu-rays to pick up today, including Knowing, Lesbian Vampire Killers, Let the Right One In and Psychoville: Series 1 – all mentioned above.
Eighties fans will get a kick out of About Last Night, Blue Thunder and St Elmo's Fire, as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment polishes up its back catalogue. There are also some period dramas on offer, with Edge Of Love and Good Night, And Good Luck being released by Lionsgate.
But the Blu-ray of the day has to be the outstanding Children Of Men, as Clive Owen struggles to protect a young girl in a dystopian future where there are no kids.
Friday July 24, 2009 WIN! A copy of Outlander on Blu-ray
Viking and alien worlds collide on Blu-ray and DVD on 31 August when Momentum Pictures awakens the beast in Outlander. In 709AD, a space craft streaks across the night sky and crash lands in a Norwegian fjord. From its wreckage emerge, Kainan (Jim Caviezel) a soldier from a far away planet and a deadly alien stowaway, the Moorwen. Before he has a chance to track down the Moorwen, Kainan is captured by Viking warrior, Wulfric (Jack Huston) and held prisoner in the local village led by King Rothgar (John Hurt).
Grudgingly accepted into the clan after saving Rothgar's life, Kainan confides in Rothgar's fiercely beautiful daughter, Freya (Sophia Myles) about his past. As the Moorwen wreaks terror and destruction on neighbouring villages, the threat of conflict between the clans escalates and Kainan is called upon to kill the creature.
Aware of their prey's strength, Kainan and Wulfric fuse advanced alien technology with Viking Iron Age weaponry. Joining forces with the bloodthirsty Gunnar (Ron Perlman), they lead one last mission to seek out and slay the Moorwen. In the face of the Viking's destruction, the tale of Kainan becomes legend.
Described as a cross between Alien and Beowulf, this exhilarating event-status battle of two worlds is brought to you by the producers of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and features special effects from the teams behind Pitch Black, I, Robot and 10,000 B.C.
Available on DVD and Blu-ray, the film is accompanied on both formats by a Viking army of special features including an audio commentary, making of featurette, deleted scenes, visual effects tests, animatics, artwork galleries and a trailer.
Thanks to our friends at Momentum Pictures we have five copies of Outlander on Blu-ray to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, click the button below and answer a simple question:
Outlander is available on DVD and Blu-ray from 31 August, courtesy of Momentum Pictures
Thursday July 23, 2009 WIN! Damages Season 1 & 2 plus a Sony HD TV and Blu-ray player
Following a thrilling first season crackling with murder, corruption, greed and betrayal, legal drama Damages is back with season two, centring on Ellen Parsons’ (Rose Byrne) struggles to deal with her fiancé’s murder and those she holds responsible – Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson) and Patty Hewes (Glenn Close). As they work every angle to shield their own misdeeds while undermining friends and foes alike, Ellen is drawn deeper into a series of traps in which loyalty and trust are sacrificed and Patty pulls all the strings as she seeks justice for her clients. Season two adds to an already impressive cast list, thanks to star turns from Timothy Olyphant and William Hurt.
Damages: Season 2 is released on 31 August by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. To celebrate, we’ve a top prize to give away. One winner will scoop a Sony Blu-ray player, a 26-inch Sony Bravia LCD TV and a copy of the first two seasons (the first on Blu-ray, the second on DVD). Five runners up will also bag copies of the discs.
For more information on Damages visit the official Sony Pictures website.
To be in with a chance of winning, click the button below and answer a simple question:
Tuesday July 14, 2009 Film4 FrightFest scares up plenty of premieres
Guillermo Del Toro calls it “The Woodstock of gore”. And the UK’s number one horror and fantasy film festival marks its tenth year with over 30 premieres and a move to the country’s largest screen.
The Film4 FrightFest 2009 celebrates 10 years of chills, thrills and kills by moving to the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square to serve up its distinctive and controversial mix of must-see and yet-to-be discovered genre movies from around the world.
From Thurs 27 August to Monday 31 August, 35 new films will play over two screens, with Empire 1 housing the main event and the FrightFest Discovery section playing in Empire 4. You can find a full list of films in both venues on the Film4 FrightFest website. This year 12 countries are represented across four continents and there are a record 11 world premieres and 15 UK premieres.
British horror scores heavily, as the festival opens with the world premiere of Christopher Smith’s shocker Triangle and the closing night finale sees the world premiere of The Descent: Part Two.
Fans of An American Werewolf In London will get the chance to meet John Landis, who is attending the festival with the cast, to present a fully restored version of the classic and a new documentary feature.
“Film4 FrightFest's tenth anniversary is a major validation for horror fantasy,” says Alan Jones, joint director of FrightFest. “FrightFest's mandate has always been to showcase the best the genre has to offer and this year we can do that on an even better scale on the UK's biggest screen at the Empire cinema, Leicester Square, and in our FrightFest Discovery strand focusing on the gems of the future."
Full festival passes cost £140, with day passes priced at £21.50 and single tickets at £10.
Tickets are available by calling 08714 714 714 or by visiting the Empire website.
Main Programme – Empire 1
Thursday 27 August
18.30 Triangle (World Premiere)
21.15 The Hills Run Red (UK Premiere)
23.15 Infestation (UK premiere)
Friday 28 August
11.00 The Horseman
13.45 Beware The Moon: Remembering An American Werewolf In London (World Premiere)
16.15 An American Werewolf In London (World Premiere of the fully restored version)
19.30 Shadow (World Premiere)
21.40 The Horde (Special Sneak Preview)
Saturday 29 August
11.30 Smash Cut (UK Premiere)
13.45 Hierro (UK Premiere)
15.45 Millennium: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (UK Premiere)
19.00 Giallo (London Premiere)
21.00 Trick ‘R Treat (UK premiere)
23.15 Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl (UK Premiere)
Sunday 30 August
11.30 Dead Snow (UK Premiere)
13.45 The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (World Premiere)
15.50 Coffin Rock (World Premiere)
18.45 Night Of The Demons (World Premiere)
21.00 Clive Barker’s Dread (UK Premiere)
Monday 31 August
11.00 Zombie Women Of Satan (World Premiere)
13.15 The House Of The Devil (UK Premiere)
15.30 Case 39 (UK Premiere)
18.30 Heartless (World Premiere)
21.15 The Descent: Part Two (World Premiere)
Monday July 06, 2009 Interview: Clive Owen
We had a good old chinwag with Clive Owen when he was promoting The International, which is released on DVD and Blu-ray today. You’ll find a full news interview in Issue 130 of DVD & Blu-ray Review, but here’s a little bit more from the man of action...
Thursday July 02, 2009 WIN! A Sharp BD-HP22H Blu-ray player plus a 32-inch TV and a copy of Push!
Supernatural action-thriller Push tears up the screen with its electrifying FX and non-stop thrills and spills. Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning find themselves in a world of psychic espionage and intrigue, where the gift to move objects using the mind, see into the future and create new realities can turn a person into a lethal weapon – or a target.
And there’s no better way to watch Push than on Sharp’s new BD-HP22H Blu-ray player, a fully hi-def 1080p deck with BD-Live that’s perfect for recreating the full cinema experience. Images are brought to life through x.v. colour technology, so the full spectrum is vivid and defined, while 24Hz video output means action appears smooth and seamless. There’s also powerful 7.1 surround sound from the integrated DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD.
Push is out now on Blu-ray and DVD from Icon Home Entertainment – and we’re giving you the chance to win a Sharp BD-HP22H Blu-ray player and a 32-inch HD Ready Sharp Aquos TV, as well as a copy of Push on Blu-ray. Four runners up will also win a copy of Push on DVD.
To be in with a chance of winning, click the button below and answer a simple question.
Wednesday July 01, 2009 SFX Weekender lands Torchwood stars
Fans of Captain Jack and Captain John rejoice! John Barrowman and James Marsters are set to reunite at the SFX Weekender!
With a full line-up to be announced over coming months, sci-fi legends John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood) and James Marsters (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood) are already signed to appear at the SFX Weekender. Also confirmed are:
• Doctor Who scribe Paul Cornell
• Novelists China Mieville and Robert Rankin
• Hardware director Richard Stanely
Exhibitors and supporters include Manga, Forbidden Planet International, Tor, Gollancz, Diamond Comics Distribution and 2000AD.
As the first fan event of its kind in the UK – the SFX Weekender, which takes place over the weekend of 5 and 6 February 2010 at Pontins in Camber Sands in Sussex, promises the ultimate sci-fi experience with activities for fans – with book readings, big name guests, interviews, Q&A sessions, comic workshops, with videogaming, music and plenty more at one of the UK’s best-loved holiday camps (and Doctor Who fans can pretend they’re re-enacting Delta And The Bannermen).
Fans going to the SFX Weekender will get the chance to fully immerse themselves in the sci-fi culture which made SFX Europe’s bestselling genre magazine and leading website. Fans can get themselves written into a comic strip, get into discussion with their favourite author, chill out at the anime café, get digital art tips, or be amongst the first to see exclusive screenings of film and TV shows.
The SFX Weekender also includes the announcement of the annual SFX Awards – counting votes from thousands of fans for their favourite shows, movies, games, books, comics and stars of 2009.
Full-line up details and timetable will be announced over coming months at the official website. Tickets cost £85 per person and include two nights accommodation with entry into all arenas. Tickets are on sale now at the SFX Weekender website, or by calling 08700 110034. Kids under 12 go for free.
You can also discuss the Weekender on the SFX forum.
Monday June 29, 2009 Car care
There are plenty of magic motors out there in movie land – Bond’s underwater Lotus Esprit, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Speed Racer’s Mach 5 – but we’d rather salute those who keep their wheels in mint condition. In honour of today's release of Gran Torino, here's The Blagger's Guide To... Looking After Cars.
Mr Miyagi (The Karate Kid)
Get the local kid who’s been bothering you for some free martial arts training to ‘wax on’ and ‘wax off’ while you put your feet up.
Arnie Cunningham (Christine)
When choosing a car to restore, pick the possessed red 1958 Plymouth Fury called Christine that heals itself when it gets a scratch.
Morris Frye (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)
Find a 1961 Ferrari 250GT California – tough job, less than 100 were made – and spend three years restoring it. Keep it in tip-top shape by buffing it with a diaper. Just don’t let Cameron’s slacker friend Ferris anywhere near it... oops, too late!
