Attack Girls' Swim Team vs. the Undead Review

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(More customer reviews)Attack Girls Swim Team vs. the Undead (Koji Kawano, 2007)
Okay, let's start off by saying that if you're the kind of person who sees a title like Attack Girls Swim Team vs. the Undead and does not immediately think "THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER", you're probably in the wrong place. Because that's exactly what I thought when I saw the title of this movie, and, well, I'm the guy who's writing the review. If we're coming from entirely different mindsets... you know. And while the movie doesn't live up to the promise of the title, it's certainly good for a romp.
Aki (Sasa Handa) is the new girl at school. Keeps to herself, quiet, that sort of thing. One day, Sayaka (Yuria Hidaka), seeing her at the side of the pool and mistaking her for someone else, pushes her in as a prank. The two of them become fast friends after that, but this is no simple friendship drama. Because, after all, there must be an evil mastermind experimenting on the school (where else but in Japan?), administering a "vaccine" for a cold that's going around. But, yeah, vaccine? It makes zombies of everyone but Aki and the girls' swim team, who must find a cure.
No, it's not a great movie, and most of the time it's not even a good movie. But on the Joe Bob Briggs blood, breasts, and beasts scale, it gets top marks in all three categories (including one scene between Handa and Hidaka that wouldn't be out of place in an Emmanuelle flick), and it adds a continual element of just plan weird, in that style the Japanese do so well. The climax of the movie is just jaw-dropping. I mean, really, off-the-scale, [censored for Amazon consumption] nuts. And hysterically funny, if that kind of humor works for you.
So, yeah, not a good movie, but it's the kind of bad movie that transcends its badness and becomes something great. This is one you owe it to yourself to watch. ****


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Item Name: Attack Girls' Swin Team Versus the Undead; Studio:Adv Films

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Amok Train (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)... which in the greater scheme of film probably makes it one of the dumbest movies I've ever seen as well, but hey, I don't buy movies titled Amok Train to become smarter(just cooler)! Amok Train actually goes by the original title of Beyond The Door 3, and helps solidify the trilogy of films as one of the strangest ever. Not so much due to the movies themselves, but because the lineup consists of a blatant Italian ripoff of The Exorcist(posibly the best of all three), a slow-paced sequel directed by Mario Bava (also known as Shock), and now this, an American directed film about a "crazy train"(thanks Ozzie!). The story has a group of American college kids taking a "field trip" to somewhere in Eastern Europe(you know, where people still live in dilapidated huts and stare in awe and disgust at foreigners while banging rocks together and praying to their "old Gods") before having to flee for their lives by jumping onto a train... a train from #ell that is! It seems that the host of this little trip is interested in one of the students, an outcast girl who still possesses her virginity, and it just so happens that a virgin girl is needed in order to ressurect the "prince of darkness." From here on we get to enjoy(kinda) some charming special effects, as the train jumps the tracks and runs people down in the nearby woods and swamplands... then jumps back on the tracks(all done with miniature models too!). Some truly inspired gore effects(including a girl ripping her own face in half to reveal a skull filled with maggots!) and a smidge of nudity help balance against some awful acting and a plot that's gone(much like the train) "amok." The main thing that the movie suffers from though, is that it just takes itself way too seriously, and with this subject matter... how can you? So Amok Train is far from required viewing, but if you're on the hunt for some of that 80's horror magic in the form of a movie you probably never saw(or even heard of)... you could do worse than this(probably LOL!). 2.5 stars rounded up because, as I stated in the title, it still remains the BEST movie about a train possessed by Satan that I've ever seen!

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The Living Dead Girl (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)Yet another well-done, beautiful-looking Jean Rollin film. Some workers storing chemical waste in a crypt decide to moonlight as grave-robbers and open a coffin containing an astonishingly well-preserved young woman. But oops, there's this earthquake, y'see, and chemicals spill and o' course this brings the girl back to life and she starts killing (sharp fingernails!). Then she wanders off to a large chateau, of which her undead brain contains vague memories. There she meets her best friend, who's so glad to see her back among the living (sort of) that she decides to help her get the blood she craves by luring in victims. This leads to some pretty heavy gore - more graphic than what you usually see from Rollin - and o' course there's plenty of nudity, all of it beautifully, poetically filmed. Pretty extreme in all counts, and has that dreamlike suspension-of-logic that'll make you not worry about details (like why didn't the girl decay at all? and is there anything worse than the accordian-rock of The Fireflies?). Another good 'un from Rollin.

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Fallen: The Beginning (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Aaron Corbett (Paul Wesley of the Vampire Diaries) is an orphan who has found a loving home. He's got a great life, supportive family, he's a jock, he's smart, basically he can write his ticket to any college he wants. Then on his 18'th birthday everything changes; hidden powers emerge and he learns the terrifying truth that he is a Nephelim. A Nephelim is a cross between a fallen angel and a human and is considered an abomination by the Powers (Gods angels). He will be hunted down and destroyed unless he accepts his destiny as the Redeemer, the prophesied Nephelim who is the savior to the fallen angels.
The movie series centers around him finding out, accepting, and surviving to fulfill his destiny. The movie is interesting and well done. While it does take liberties from the best selling book series it's still well done and will keep you interest.
The acting is excellent though at times overdone. I loved the character of Gabriel the Labrador but I wish his voice hadn't seemed so contrived. The special effects were overall well done and I especially liked that they didn't over do the flaming swords.
I didn't give this a 5 star rating because while there are shows on TV that come off feeling more like a movie this definitely has a Made-for-TV feel.


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Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) stars as Aaron Corbett, a high school jock with a promising future. But on his 18th birthday, his life forever changes when his incredible powers emerge, revealing the terrifying truth of his identity. As The Redeemer, a half-angel, half-man who can return fallen angels to heaven, Aaron holds the entire world's destiny in his young hands. He must battle warrior seraphs and confront the fallen angel who has sparked his nightmares (Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad). But can he save himself and the girl he loves? Based on the bestselling book series, Fallen soars to new levels in the battle between good and evil. Includes parts 1 and 2: The Beginning and The Journey

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The Last Man on Earth - In COLOR Also Includes the Original Black-and-White Version which has been Beautifully Restored and Enhanced (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Last Man on Earth is based on Richard Matheson's incredible novel I Am Legend, in my opinion the second best vampire novel ever written. Vincent Price does not really fit the image I had in mind from the novel, but there can be no doubt that he gives a remarkable performance here and makes the role his own. It's a rather somber tale. Price plays Morgan, a man left completely alone in the world by a plague that wiped out the rest of the population, including his wife and young daughter, three years earlier. The virus behind the plague was a vampiric bacillus, so all of the people who died and were not destroyed by fire have come back as vampires. Luckily for Morgan, the vampires are quite weak and simple-minded, for they attack his fortified home every night in an effort to get in and kill him. By day, Morgan goes out hunting the walking nightmares and driving stakes through their hearts, but there are so many that the project seems almost futile. Midway through the movie, we are treated to a pretty extended set of flashbacks to the early days of the virus and the deaths of Morgan's wife and daughter. Toward the end, Morgan is shocked to find a woman wandering outside during the day, the first human being he has seen in three years. He takes her home with him and thus sets the stage for the movie's memorable climax.
Obviously, Vincent Price carries this movie on his own back, given the fact that the vast majority of the action takes place around him and no one else. He plays things rather subtly for the most part, which I found quite effective. His memories make him laugh sometimes, but Price's signature laugh evolves quite effectively into sobs of anger and frustration. The most poignant moments of the film, in my opinion, come when Morgan finds a dog outside his house, the first living creature he has seen in three years. The dog initially runs away from him in fear, but the suffering creature eventually comes back. Morgan cleans him and fixes up his wounds, but the new friendship he exults over soon becomes just another tragedy. The movie doesn't dwell on the dog episode nearly so much as Matheson does in his novel, and for this I am grateful because I find it rather heartbreaking. The little dog gives an incredible performance, but as is so often the case the canine actor does not even merit a mention in the credits.
The Last Man on Earth really is a remarkably good movie and really showcases the immense acting abilities of Vincent Price. I wish it would have delved into the science of the virus much more intensely than it did; the scientific aspects of Matheson's story are what make it such a phenomenally good vampire novel. The inner turmoil and chaotic nature of Morgan's thoughts cannot really be presented effectively on film, nor can the actions and motives of some of the other players in the drama be thoroughly understood. The script writers did take some liberties with the concluding scenes, but it is really for the best because the novel's conclusion would not have worked in this medium without the audience being given a much more penetrating look into the minds and motives of the characters involved. Some might find the movie creepy, but there is really nothing here that will disturb the timid viewer-the camera never actually shows any of the gruesome acts that tend to be committed by human beings against vampires and vice versa. Somber and depressing as it can be, The Last Man on Earth is the type of distinguished horror movie that appeals in some way to just about everyone.

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Screen legend Vincent Price stars in this, the first, and finest, adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic horror/sci-fi novel I Am Legend. After a plague wipes out the human race, Dr. Robert Morgan (Price) struggles with loneliness - and his sanity as the monotony of the unending days broken only by his daily hunts for vampires! One day on his solitary travels he runs across another human: is she a mirage, or real? This existential masterpiece ratchets up the tension, and keeps it up, until the last thrilling frame.

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Death Hunter: Werewolves vs. Vampires (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)The longer you watch it, the better it gets. I realize this direct-to-video movie had a very modest budget, but this movie is surpringly well-cast and has a good group of solid lead actors.
After getting past the so-so opening 15 minutes, the movie starts to grow on you as you see the video crew put a surprising amount of effort into this.

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Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition) (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)Zombie movies. Lots of "serious" types look down on them. That's a shame, because some of them are really first-rate films. Dawn of the Dead, the middle film of George Romero's "dead" trilogy, is a case in point. You want zombies, we got your zombies RIGHT HERE! You want blood? Guts? Flesh eating? Oh boy, does Dawn of the Dead ever deliver!
And then it does something really unique - it also delivers drama, engaging characters with realistic delimmas, a smartly crafted story, and a heavy dose of dead-on social satire. And did I mention that it's just flat-out scary as hell, too?
There is one scene in particular, toward the beginning, that still haunts me - twenty some-odd years after I first saw it. The National Guard has been called in to clear a tenament building. In the basement, they find a cage where the dead have been locked away. The simple, unsettling music of Goblin rises on the soundtrack, underscored by a heartbeat-like bass drum. There are the zombies, many in death shrouds, feasting on body parts. Guardsman Peter Washington (Ken Foree) steps into the nightmare with a pistol to dispatch the zombies with bullets to their heads. The whole thing takes on a surreal, hellish texture, like a Bosch painting. Foree's performance is striking - he is truly IN THE MOMENT, as they say, without a hint of the winking self-awareness we see in other genre flicks. If the dead really started coming back to feed on the living, this is exactly what it be like. This is the toll it would exact on people trying to grapple with the situation.
Yet, in a way, Dawn of the Dead IS self-aware. It knows when to step back, too, and admit that it's playing with you. Another scene, of this sort, occurs when we see a group of rednecks hunting the shambling corpses as though they were deer. They sip coffee from thermoses, pass sandwiches around, and banter about their accuracy with their rifles. It's a very funny bit, in part because it's so deadpan.
Those are just two favorite examples. There is much, much more to this film, and almost all of it works beautifully. Even the sometimes obviously low budget and gleeful use of library stock music doesn't hurt. Romero turns these limitations to his advantage, by making them serve as searing comments on mass media, consumerism, and pop culture.
Performances by David Emge, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross are worthy of mention, too. They play real people in an extraordinary situation, rather than two-dimensional horror-movie characters.
Dawn of the Dead schlock as high art - complex, funny, scary, and engaging. And thank goodness it's coming back to DVD, because it's one worth watching over and over again.

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: DVDArtist: DAWN OF THE DEADTitle: DAWN OF THE DEADStreet Release Date: 09/07/2004

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I Sell the Dead (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie has been getting good press in mags like "Fangoria" and "Rue Morgue." It can be rented at Blockbuster as one of their exclusives and is scheduled for a street release at the end of March. It is a low budget project, but one that's produced with a lot of class, wit, energy and a respect for the genre.
It involves a couple of low-life, but likable Burke and Hare-type grave robbers named Grimes and Blake, and their misadventures supplying fresh corpses for a local doctor/mortician (Angus Scrimm). They unearth the usual rotten and not-so-rotten corpses, vampires, zombies and even an extraterrestrial (!), but their most dangerous adventure comes in the form of a sick, violent family of grave robbers who don't appreciate the competition: The House of Murphy. The daughter, who was burned beyond recognition, wears a mask identical to the burned daughter in the classic French film "Les Yeux sans Visage" ("Eyes Without a Face")-great touch! The son grinds up his victims' bones and uses the bone dust for snuff.
Overall, a fun, tongue-in-cheek movie with laughs and thrills that belies its low budget with a great script, excellent actors and above-average production values. Special features include several IFC trailers, including "I Sell the Dead." I would suggest using the subtitle feature as the accents are thick in some places. Highly recommended.

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Grindhouse Presents, Planet Terror - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)First, a word about this childish boycott. "Grindhouse" gave us two brilliant genre films for the price of one in the theaters. It was a once in a lifetime experience for most of us and a chance to see the two most bada$* directors in Hollywood give us 3+ hours of hardcore horror entertainment including the funniest faux-trailers your likely to ever see. And it bombed. Big time. Why? Because lazy America said it'd wait for the DVD because the film was too long and lost the chance to support a truly brilliant idea and show that we are sick and tired of cardboard cutout PG-13 teen horror and bad remakes of beloved cult classics. They went to see "Disturbia" instead. "Grindhouse" was what true horror fans -hell, what all true film fanatics- have been dying for and shame on all of you who missed it. So the studio took a loss for taking a chance on this idea and as a result, they've split the two films up with extra scenes that were cut for time and are giving us these two films as we haven't yet seen them, each in double-dic editions packed with extras. Awesome, right? Weeeeeellllll, now the same whiners who stiffed the films in the theaters are angry they missed out and want both films on one DVD (as if there'd even be room) for a discount price. Sorry, but it don't work that way. The theatrical cut was packaged as just that, an experience for the theaters simulating the double-feature drive-in days of old. Even if that experience would translate to DVD, why would the company re-release it in a form that already failed miserably? The bottom line is this: we now have another chance to show that THIS is what we as horror fans want to see and the only way to do that is to buy these great-looking DVDs. The notion that making the films bomb yet again on DVD is going to lead to some super-duper deluxe theatrical edition must have been conceived in the mind of a five year old on crack. If we don't support these editions, these films will die and the studio will waste no more money on this failed project or any like it in the future. This is basic business sense. Support true horror and boycott crappy remakes and bloated sequels *cough*Spiderman3*cough* instead.
"Planet Terror" as you already know, was Robert Rodriguez's half of "Grindhouse" and while it's artistically inferior to it's sister film (Tarantino's "Death Proof"), Rodriguez brings the campy action, hardcore gore, and zombie awesomeness hard and fast like you know he can. The music, as always, rocks and grooves, the deaths will make you laugh and recoil in disgust, and Rose McGowan may well be the sexiest thing on the planet. The story is nonsense, of course, and the dialogue is hammy and shooting a grenade launcher directly into the ground will NOT launch you into the air (not in one piece, anyway) like a superhero, but this film is of the kind where this sort of unreal madness only makes you love it more and leaves you drunk and giddy with the chaos. It's silly, but you will love it. Much of "Planet Terror" makes me feel like I'm watching the most kicka$# video game ever made; a game I'd really love to play.
The movie is packed with recurring jokes and funny, memorable dialogue (much of which is based on Rose McGownan's real personality) that pays off in spades down the line. Rodriguez did not skimp on the cast, either. Sure, he cast most of his family plus his doctor and even his freakin' real-estate agent, but they are all fantastic. Bruce Willis chews the scenery, Freddy Rodriguez is THE zombie-killing machine, Quentin Tarantino plays "rapist #1", and you know it's a true undead party when Tom Savini hits the scene. Also, Fergie plays a lesbian who gets her brain eaten by the marauding undead. Yes, I know if this was realistic the scene would have played out like the Simpsons episode where the zombies moan "braaaaaainsss" as they feel her head and then, finding none, leave the so-vapid-she's-sexy pop tart to ponder her 15 minutes of fame; but like I was saying, this is not a realistic movie and any dead Black-eyed Peas member is a good one.
If anyone knows how to do extras right, it's Robert Rodriguez. You've got the standard commentary, plus the audience reaction track from the film's premiere (a personal favorite), his patented "10 minute film school", and yes, the "Machette" trailer still precedes the film. Sweet. The rest of the bonus features largely mirror the "Death Proof" DVD with lots of love for the cast and stuntpeople; very informative and very entertaining. I was actually hoping for more restored footage to the actual movie then we get (more crazy babysitter twins, anyone?) and the visual defects and missing reel -which was fun in the theater- are still there and not nearly as cute, but these are my only gripes. I could seriously write for days about all the things I love about this movie, but I'll just say one more thing before wrapping up: I sure could go for some barbeque.
"Planet Terror" brings some seriously awesome action-horror that delivers everything you want in a zombie film and you'd be a fool to pass on it just because you don't get a whole other movie free. Buy it, buy "Death Proof", and then go wave your copies at the moron down the street who's boycotting.

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(Horror) A fun zombie film that busts at the seams with gross special effects, amazing action, and deliciously over-the-top moments, as gun-legged Cherry Darling and one man wrecking crew El Wray try to save the world from a horde of flesh-eating zombies.

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The Crazies (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)THE CRAZIES is not a great film, nor will it likely even enter the "Hall Of Fame" of zombie-type movies. However, it is a tight, well-constructed and reasonably well-acted thriller that is more than worthy of a look.
In the small mid-western town of Ogden's Marsh, high school baseball season is just getting started. Everyone in town is there to size up the quality of this year's team...and frankly, life just couldn't get any finer. In less than 2 minutes, we get learn all we need to know about this little town...we see that it's a town where everyone knows everyone. Everyone has a place and is contented. Life is simple but satisfying. But when a glassy-eyed farmer with a shotgun wanders onto the field of play (actually, he has what might be described as a zombie-like stare), the sheriff (played at a perfect pitch by Timothy Olyphant) tried to talk him out of his weapon. Their brief, tense confrontation ends in the death of the farmer...and the town is rattled. Things quickly escalate as more and more citizens begin acting weird, violent and yes, CRAZY.
It isn't quite a zombie movie...no dead person is coming back to life. In fact, it's more a cousin to 28 DAYS LATER, where the zombies were really just people infected with rage. But whatever the case, we essentially see the very quick collapse of this little society...especially when the government quarantines them and begins to separate the sick from the well.
The movie takes a fairly predictable path from here...there's not really much we haven't seen before (although the film does feature the scariest journey through an automatic carwash that we've ever seen). But there is seldom much in the way of the truly new in this genre...it's all in the execution. If the film is constructed well enough, we don't pay quite so much attention to some of the plot holes (or if not holes, at least areas the stretch credibility, even if we accept the initial premise). THE CRAZIES is well-constructed, and uses its modest budget well. It doesn't attempt anything it can't pull off well, so there aren't lots of cheesy effects. It assembles a small core of characters, and makes us care about them just enough to draw our sympathy at their plight.
The central relationship is between sheriff Olyphant and his wife, the town doctor, played by Radha Mitchell. They are a couple that has clearly been together for awhile, and there are no big histrionics between them. They feel like a couple that has a natural ease between each other, and even when pushed to extremes, there's never any doubt that they're comfortable. This reflects the overall ease of the movie...it doesn't push too hard. Olyphant and Mitchell feel more like a married couple that is comfortably at ease with each other...not the typical movie couple who always have to find a way to tear each other's clothes off and fool around, even as the world collapses around them. I liked that...and it made me really root for them.
In many ways, the most interesting relationship is between Olyphant and his deputy, played by Joe Anderson (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE). Their interplay, the casual deference of the deputy for his boss, their unshakeable sense of duty all feel natural. These are good guys...but in quiet, unassuming ways. They just do what they feel is right, even if they're really scared. The movie is not showy about them...it's not like their Mel Gibson & Danny Glover in LETHAL WEAPON...they're just a couple of small town law enforcement officers who wear their badges not only with pride but with an instinctive understanding that they have RESPONSIBILITY as well.
The movie has scares aplenty, and lots of tense scenes. There's a great scene in the latter half when the couple is confronted by a couple of crazies in their own bedroom...we've got four people basically clawing and scratching at each other in a tiny room, and it's maddening to watch.
It's nice to see a good, honest little film that knows its business, but takes the time to get enough little details right to make it just a bit more than ordinary. If you're in the mood for a few jump-in-your-seat moments, you could do far, far worse than THE CRAZIES.

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In this terrifying glimpse into the "American Dream" gone wrong, an unexplainable phenomenon has taken over the citizens of Ogden Marsh.One by one the townsfolk are falling victim to an unknown toxin and are turning sadistically violent. People who days ago lived quiet, unremarkable lives are now depraved, blood-thirsty killers. While Sheriff Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell), try to make sense of the escalating violence, the government uses deadly force to close off all access and won't let anyone in or out – even those uninfected. In this film that Pat Jankiewicz of Fangoria calls "disturbing," an ordinary night becomes a horrifying struggle for the few remaining survivors as they do their best to get out of town alive.

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Grindhouse (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)This set is getting bad reviews, based on a few people who really don't know what they're talking about. One of the reviews gave the blu ray a one-star review because this set isn't available on DVD. How does that make sense? Some other reviews, bashed the fact that these aren't the "extended" versions. Of course there not, you can already buy those. The point of this set is recreate the entire theatrical experience, so of course they have the theatrical cuts of the film and in my opinion, this is the way these films were meant to be seen. Also keep in mind that most of those bad reviews, came out before this edition did, therefore they aren't first hand reviews and are inaccurate.
I received the set today and it's great, packaging is great incredibly detailed and really adds to the feel of the fims. The movies play just as they did in theaters, which to me is the best way to see them and it is packed with special features, a good amount of them exclusive to this set. If you liked the Grindhouse films, but didn't get to see them in theaters, or if your like me and wanted to recreate that experience, then I highly recommend this set. If you want the extended cuts, well then go buy those.

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Together for the first time the Rodriguez/Tarantino Double Feature GRINDHOUSE is back and better than ever! These rip-roaring and adrenaline-pumping films are now featured in the original theatrical exhibition format. Loaded with over 2 hours of bonus content, including the fan favorite "Rodriguez's 10 Minute Cooking School", this 2-disc Blu-Ray will deliver a new experience like never before!

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Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Resident Evil series has become one of the top selling titles for video game company CAPCOM. Known in Japan as "Biohazard", the series has sold over 34 million games and among the series, one of the most popular titles was the 1996 Sony Playstation game "Resident Evil 2' which introduced us to the characters of Racoon City rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (sister of "Resident Evil 1' hero Chris Redfield).
The two were popular characters that fans enjoyed and in 2005, "Resident Evil 4' featuring Leon Kennedy became a huge hit earning "Game of the Year" by various publications.
With the popularity of the character of Leon Kennedy, how fitting was it when CAPCOM announced the reuniting of both Leon and Claire. As a fan of the video game series, I was definitely excited and couldn't wait to see the film. "resident evil: DEGENERATION" takes place seven years after "Resident Evil 2'.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
Picture quality is pretty good. The film is entirely in CG and was created in Maya. The CG was well done but not as fluid as "Final Fantasy: Advent Children" but still looked very impressive. The rendered character models were just great to look at (especially at the beginning when you see the airport or even the WilPharm HQ. Both look very realistic!) and Leon, Claire and Angela Miller model renders were just very well done. If anything, there is slight jerkiness when it comes to a close up of a character and trying to make it do natural and realistic movements during a conversation. But during the action scenes, the movements were very nice and overall, the CG was very well done.
If anything, fans of the video games will more than likely enjoy these CG rendered scenes.
As for audio, the audio is featured in Dolby Digital 5.1 and during the action scenes (which there are many), sound does come alive and sounds very good on my system. Dialogue is quite clear. As for the music, the ending theme "Guilty" is by Japanese music artist ANNA TSUCHIYA.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The DVD features quite a few special features which include:
* The Generation of DEGENERATION featurette - This featurette interviews Makoto Kamiya and other CAPCOM staff and their goal with the film, why they used the actual English voice actors in terms of the motion capture (including having them learn how to hold a gun) and more behind-the-scenes footage on the creation of the film. Also, fan reaction at San Diego Comic Con.
* Character Profiles - Profiles feature a text blurb on each character and you can access a video or photography profile (from parts of the film).
* Voice Bloopers - This is more or less bloopers but not sure if it was intentionally created or if it was actual bloopers. One featured Leon Kennedy telling the others about his "fee". Quite funny to watch.
* Faux Leon Interview - I'm not quite sure what this feature was about. A man is interviewing one of the motion capture actors and the actor is talking about working with Kamiya-san and others on the film.
* Resident Evil: Degeneration Trailers - Trailers for the film
* Resident Evil: Degeneration Tokyo Game Show Trailer - Tokyo Game Show trailer
* Resident Evil 5 Special Game Footage - Promotional video for the upcoming Playstation "Resident Evil" game.
* Resident Evil 5 Game Trailers - Trailers for the upcoming Playstation 3 video game.Let me first say that I am a big fan of the "Resident Evil" series and I own nearly all the US releases. "Resident Evil 2' really was innovative when it first was released for the Sony Playstation and was my favorite R.E. game until "Resident Evil 4' was released and that video game was just incredible.
So, that being said, watching this film had me smiling because I absolutely adore both the characters of Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. How this film furthers the storyline of the two characters but also builds on certain situations that may have major ramifications for future video game releases is quite exciting.
So, with that being said, I enjoyed the film because the creators really wanted to pay homage to "Resident Evil 2' and "Resident Evil 4' video game series and its fans. But I realize that many people who are not familiar with the video game series are wondering how the context of this film is to the live-action film series featuring Mila Jovovich.
There is a relation by name and of course, the virus that turns people to zombies but really, this film was created for the fans of the video game series in mind.
Also, with this being a video game-related film, many who crave a deep storyline with character development of who is Claire and who is Leon may feel disappointed. The reason why video gamers who played the video games is that through those video game moments of playing these characters for hours, there was a vested interest.
I would assume that many viewers not familiar with the video game series won't pick up the importance of Claire or Leon to the actual "Resident Evil" storyline. In fact, some may wonder why they should care about these characters especially at the end with the politics surrounding the viruses.
So, with that being said, "resident evil: DEGENERATION" is an awesome film for those who followed the video game series. The film features plenty of non-stop action, bloody violence courtesy to the zombies and you even get a scene with blood that splatters on to the camera. But the enjoyment comes from those who had the experience of playing "Resident Evil 2' and "Resident Evil 4' and to see Claire and Leon again.
The CG looks great and there are some moments that I was just really in awe but at the same time, there are some movements that were jerky and robotic at times. But overall, the model renders were good and Leon and Claire look very good. So, the bottom line is that this film is just total fan service for "Resident Evil" video game fans. So much that I highly recommend this DVD.
For those who are not familiar with the video game series, you may enjoy it but if you are expecting a continuation of the live action films, then this DVD may not be for you. In fact, some may be disappointed because there is no strong plot for them to truly enjoy these characters especially without playing the video games. So, I can understand if they don't get into it.
Again, if you are fans of the "Resident Evil" video games, you can't help but have a smile on your face because there is now a "Resident Evil" film that was created with the RE video game fan in mind. And for that, I recommend this DVD for you!

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A zombie attack brings chaos to Harvardville Airport. Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield who fought the sinister Umbrella Corporation during the Raccoon City tragedy 7 years ago, are back. In high-octane Resident Evil style, they're ready to battle a rogue warrior who is seeking revenge after his family was killed in Raccoon City. The deadly G-Virus is unleashed and a new mutated monster goes on the rampage. Will Claire and Leon be able to terminate the virus before history repeats itself?

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The Trailer Park Boys - The Complete First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)The three star rating is only for this release of the show because of what it's lacking. The Trailer Park Boys is a great show. A fake documentary comedy similar to Reno 911. Unfortunately this release is done by a different company than all the other dvd seasons, specials, and movies out there. This dvd has absolutely no extras. You will be much better off buying the Season 1 & 2 TPBs which has lots of extras- commentary tracks, deleted scenes, alternate takes, interviews, outtakes and a music video.

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Trailer Park of Terror (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When country performer Trace Adkins shows up in "TRAILER PARK OF TERROR" looking like a 'Thunderkiss '65'-era Rob Zombie, it's tempting to write this flick off as a 'Texas Chainsaw Wannabe', or maybe a 'House Of 1000 Ideas That Have Been Done A Million Times Before'. But Adkins gets credit from me, because for the brief time he's on-camera, he does manage a pretty impressive screen presence.
The same goes, shockingly enough, for the rest of "TRAILER PARK..." as well. Having sat through countless horror duds that purported to be more 'gruesome' or 'over-the-top' than anything seen before, I can't say that "TRAILER PARK..." is any more extreme than any of its gore-soaked precursors. And it's amusing & worth some chuckles, but high art this AIN'T. Yet, at the same time, "TRAILER PARK..." defies the odds, and avoids being just a forgettable, one-trick, cheapie horror gimmick. Sure, the whole redneck vibe is in full swing, with your standard. broadly-generalized mobile-home caricatures (bigoted, overweight, slovenly, undereducated malcontents and floozies) romping around and saying "y'all" a lot. And the deep-fried rockabilly soundtrack, though groovy and energetic, is one hell of a cliche. But... the nice thing about "TRAILER PARK..." is that despite its limited trappings and Z-grade pedigree, it's still much better written, acted, and overall produced than it probably deserved to be.
Regardless of the nod & wink (or is it a "shout-out"?) early on in the film to gore-meister/hack director Herschell Gordon Lewis, this film aspires to be a least a teensy bit better than just a brainless splatter-show. The gore FX on display here ARE copious and well-crafted, with great demon/zombie makeups, amputations, disembowelments, and a particularly painful set-piece involving homemade 'beef jerky'. But "TRAILER PARK..." is also decent during the parts in between, the lines are delivered snappily, and the back-stories of the various seedy residents of the park are actually sort-of interesting, unlike so many other flashback sequences in lesser films. What stands out about "TRAILER PARK...", and what left me with an overall feeling of goodwill towards this picture, is that the filmmakers clearly opted NOT to just rush through everything else and throw a quick, bloody gag-reel together and call it done. It actually works because it feels like at least a little thought was actually put into making it a slick, rockin', free-wheeling trip through Hayseed Hell. In short, it's much, MUCH more skillfully produced than most of the other straight-to-dvd crap out there today.
It ends up feeling like it belongs next to some of the better 80's genre flicks many of us remember fondly, such as "RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD" or "RE-ANIMATOR", while featuring the stylistic flourishes of more contemporary entries like "FROM DUSK 'TIL DAWN", "DEAD & BREAKFAST", or "2001 MANIACS" (which is, itself, a remake of a Lewis gore film, and would go GREAT on a double-bill with "TRAILER PARK..."). But these comparisons, depending on your cinematic tastes and experience, may be meaningless... so let's just say that "TRAILER PARK OF TERROR" is highly recommended for late-nite viewing, especially if you're in the mood to kick back and get in touch with your "violent, cackling, undead-inner-hillbilly" side.

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