DIVISION III: FOOTBALL'S FINEST -- DVD review by porfle

As an Andy Dick fan, I may not be qualified to review an Andy Dick movie because I have a tendency to think he's really funny, which gives normal people the impression that it's a good movie even though they may actually find it quite the opposite.  Regarding the recent college football comedy DIVISION III: FOOTBALL'S FINEST (2011), for example--I loved it.  Please take this into consideration.

Anyway, for a low-budget comedy, this is not only well-made and loaded with funny gags and good performances by a gaggle of talented comic actors, but it's also a pretty decent football flick. Dick stars as hotheaded and controversial coach Rick Vice, known for once trying to murder his entire Pee Wee League team and now hired to shape up the "Blue Cocks", the losing team of a small liberal arts college whose ditzy football-hating president Georgia Anne (Mo Collins) hopes Vice's infamy will net her school some publicity.

Dick's volatile and tightly-wound character is a perfect vehicle for his brand of comedy as Coach Vice mercilessly berates, threatens, and physically attacks his players at every opportunity while also reeling off a series of nonsensical spittle-spewing diatribes filled with botched metaphors.  The obligatory training montage finds him either breaking clipboards and folding chairs over his players' heads or riding a bicycle onto the field wielding a yardage marker like a jousting lance as the team runs for their lives.
 


Director and co-writer Marshall Cook nicely underplays the role of benchwarming quarterback Mitch DePrima, who gets his big chance when the star QB defects to a rival team, the Cougars (we know the Blue Cocks and the Cougars will clash in the big game at the end--that's just how these things work).  Mitch gains confidence and a sense of purpose over the course of the film in addition to awkwardly courting the team's pretty medic, Jennifer (Alison Haislip), and his pleasantly amusing story arc doesn't intrude on the more farcical goings-on.

Michael Jace is fine as Roy Goodwyn, hired by Georgia Anne as a back-up coach because he actually knows what he's doing, and the jealous rivalry between Roy and Rick provides some good moments.  Co-writer Paul Henderson shines as Rick's obese, endearingly crude assistant Bob, especially when asked to deliver a pre-game prayer in the locker room that turns into a ringing assault against "evilution" ("Now I don't know about you, but MY Jesus...he didn't slay those Philistines with the jawbone of a brontosaurus rex!")  Rounding out the main cast is Bru Muller as linebacker Joe Jansen, who, at 38, is apprehensively facing the prospect of his final college football season.

Making the most of its meager budget, DIVISION III: FOOTBALL'S FINEST breezily yocks up all the familiar football film cliches as the team battles its way to the championship game (which is actually pretty suspenseful), infusing the usual situations with Andy Dick's own peculiar brand of off-kilter comedy.  Much of it is improvised, with the bonus menu's deleted and extended scenes containing reams of good material that didn't make it into the final cut. 



The delightful and somewhat MILF-a-licious Mo Collins contributes her share of these comic moments, along with fellow "MADtv" alumni Debra Wilson as nympho head cheerleader Mandy and Bryan Callen as inept sportscaster Denny "D-Dog" Dawson.  Will Sasso and a wickedly sarcastic Adam Carolla bring on the funny as sparring sports commentators for a local cable channel.  The venerable Sally Kirkland appears briefly as Rick's politically-incorrect landlady, Crystal. 

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 surround.  Subtitles are in English and Spanish.  In addition to a funny and engaging commentary track by Andy Dick and Marshall Cook, bonus material includes outtakes, several deleted and extended scenes, and a trailer.  (Just to be extra nitpicky, the word "extended" is spelled wrong on the DVD menu.) 

Like a poor man's THE LONGEST YARD crossed with "The Andy Dick Show", DIVISION III: FOOTBALL'S FINEST manages to succeed both as a modest gridiron flick and a series of off-the-wall gags, tirades, outbursts, assaults, and ridiculous monologues.  If you like Andy Dick, you'll definitely have fun watching this.  If not, then you probably won't watch it anyway.  And if you don't know who Andy Dick is, well, don't say I didn't warn you.  Even though, technically, I didn't.


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DIVISION III: FOOTBALL'S FINEST -- DVD review by porfle

"GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON 2 PART 1" on DVD March 13th from Image Entertainment

COMING TO DVD FROM IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT: “GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON 2: PART 1”

Syfy hit series is back for its second season!

On March 13, Image Entertainment invites you on a second exploration of the series that debuted as the number one reality series telecast in Syfy channel history with “Ghost Hunters International Season 2:  Part 1,” a collection of 13 episodes bringing the world’s most frightening supernatural locations to your home entertainment system.  This three-disc DVD set will be available for an SRP of $24.98. Pre-book is February 14.

Fans can’t get enough of “Ghost Hunters” - celebrating eight seasons as the #1 paranormal franchise on cable television. In the second season of this hit spin-off of Syfy’s popular series, witness the fearless investigators exploring an ancient castle in Czech Republic, an 18th Century prison in Ireland, the Palazzo Ducale in Italy and even a castle said to be constructed over a portal to Hell.  With these and many other unique locations, who knows the kinds of twisted discoveries awaiting these paranormal enthusiasts!

The bone-chilling investigations taken in “Ghost Hunters International Season 2: Part 1” will arouse curiosity in even the most skeptical of viewers:

Wicklow’s Gaol
Skeleton in the Closet
Gate to Hell
Witches Castle
Spirits of Italy
Holy Ghosts
Hitler’s Ghost
Silver Shadow
Quarantine Station
Port Arthur Penitentiary
Tasmania Death Sentence
San Lucas Prison
The Legend of Rose Hall   

So prepare yourself for another round of supernatural experiences spanning the globe as “Ghost Hunters International Season 2:  Part 1” reminds you the important details are found in what you can sense, not what you can see. 

“Ghost Hunters International Season 2:  Part 1”
Genre:              Mystery/Suspense, Special Interest, Television, Ghosts, Haunted Houses, Myths/Legends
Rating:              Not Rated
Languages:       English 
Format:             1.78:1 (16x9 enhanced)
Audio:              Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:          N/A
Year:                2011
SRP:                $24.98
Street Date:      March 13, 2012
Length:             572 minutes (approx.)
UPC:                014381793222
Cat#:                ID7932PGDVD

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"GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON 2 PART 1" on DVD March 13th from Image Entertainment

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN: THE SINATRA LEGACY -- DVD review by porfle

Every once in a while we get something like this to review, and while my initial reaction is decidedly less than enthusiastic, it usually ends up appealing to that small part of me which actually enjoys this kind of stuff.  First it was Barry Manilow, then Stephen Sondheim, and now comes Image Entertainment's MICHAEL FEINSTEIN: THE SINATRA LEGACY (2011), a concert film that fans of Frank Sinatra and/or Michael Feinstein should like at least as much as I did.

Five-time Grammy winner Feinstein, referred to by many as "the keeper of the classics" and an authority on what's known as The Great American Songbook, takes the stage of the beautiful and spacious Palladium in Carmel, Indiana for this tribute to Sinatra and his musical legacy.  Backed by musical director Bill Elliott and an orchestra which is, as you might assume, impeccable, he pays homage not only to the man himself but also to the many influences that shaped his style and those that he himself influenced.



The show opens with the rousing "Once in a Lifetime", which introduces novices such as myself to the energetic singer and his easy way of connecting with the audience.  Feinstein doesn't have the powerhouse pipes of Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or Dean Martin, but he loves to belt out a pop standard or showtune with emotion and a style that alternates between hammy and intimate.  His performance never gives way to empty bombast, thank goodness, although a song's finale will sometimes find him standing on the piano working one of those sustained breath-busting end notes.

This lively opening segues into the cool jazz of the Sinatra standard "I Thought About You", followed by "Fly Me to the Moon", which Feinstein performs as a slow ballad the way it was originally intended.  The arrangement is very sparse--guitar and plucked bass only--and it's interesting to hear the song done in this way.

After doing a dead-on impression of Paul Lynde that should please his fans (myself included), he delivers a simmering version of "Put On a Happy Face/A Lot of Livin' to Do" from "Bye Bye Birdie" which starts with him showing off his considerable skills on the piano.  The Lynde imitation is our first sample of Feinstein's knack for both mimicry and getting laughs out of his listeners. 

After explaining why Cole Porter, a Gentile, wrote the most Jewish-sounding pop songs of his era we get a demonstration by way of a virtuoso piano intro to Porter's "So In Love."   A later instrumental number, Ary Barroso's "Brazil", will be an even bigger workout for Feinstein's nimble fingers.



Taking time out to recount a funny anecdote about the first time he actually met Sinatra as a young up-and-comer, he performs a lesser-known Sinatra tune, "There'll Be Some Changes Made", which was first recorded by Billie Holliday and Ethel Waters.  Feinstein uses this as an example of how musical influences are passed down from one singer to another over the years.  Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine", a hit for Sinatra in the 40s which he then dropped from his repertoire, is given a fantasy arrangement in the style of Sinatra's collaborations with Nelson Riddle in the 50s.  

"For Once In My Life", a later hit for the legendary singer, is included to show his desire to keep adding new songs to his arsenal rather than resting on his laurels.  Feinstein then performs "Maybe This Time" from "Cabaret" as a nod to his friend Liza Minelli, and finally finishes with the usual bells and whistles of "New York, New York" while standing on the piano and belting out another one of those final notes that almost make you run out of breath yourself just listening to it.  The show ends with Feinstein making a quick exit and leaving them wantin' more.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 16x9 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1 sound.  There are no subtitles or extras.

If The Great American Songbook doesn't do anything for you, then you probably should regard MICHAEL FEINSTEIN: THE SINATRA LEGACY the same way a little kid does when presented with a hot, heaping plateful of spinach.  I happen to like spinach, though, and this batch goes down pretty easy.


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MICHAEL FEINSTEIN: THE SINATRA LEGACY -- DVD review by porfle

LITTLE DEATHS -- DVD review by porfle

In the tradition of the great (and near-great) anthology horror films of yore, LITTLE DEATHS (2010) offers three tales of the strange, the weird, and the fantastic.  Unlike most of those other ones, however, the emphasis here is on sexual perversions and other adult themes.  So, no graveyards, zombies, or cackling crypt-keepers. 

A collaboration between English writer-directors Sean Hogan, Andrew Parkinson, and Simon Rumley, it's a far cry from the EC comics-inspired stuff meant to stoke popcorn-munchin' Monster Kid nostalgia (think Amicus' TALES FROM THE CRYPT, the Romero-King classic CREEPSHOW, and, going way back, DEAD OF NIGHT). 

These thoughfully-rendered slices of death are more like dark indy short films, meant to leave the viewer in a state of vaguely disturbed contemplation similar to the feeling you have right after waking up from a nightmare.  They're also highly adult-oriented, focusing on twisted male-female relationships with heavy doses of sexual perversion, nudity, rape, and other unsavory stuff. 

The trilogy begins with my favorite, Sean Hogan's "House and Home."  When wealthy, successful sexual deviates Richard and Victoria (Luke de Lacey, Siubhan Harrison) invite a homeless woman named Sorrow (Holly Lucas) to a bath and a meal, their sense of entitlement includes the right to subject the unfortunate waif to all sorts of ulterior motive-type stuff in order to satisfy their evil desires.
 


It's all great fun for the predatory couple until they get the tables turned on them big time, which is when the film erupts briefly into a bloody, flesh-eating orgy of horror.  Here, LITTLE DEATHS comes closest to old-school scary monster territory and the makeup effects are pretty cool.  It's also the last time the film's violence will be this graphic.  And just when a longer story would be shifting into the next gear, this one ends, leaving our fevered brains to supply our own mental images of what will happen next.  While this will undoubtedly disappoint many viewers, it's still pretty effective. 

"Mutant Tool" is Andrew Parkinson’s way-strange contribution, in which a heartless research scientist named Dr. Reece (Brendan Gregory) experiments on a strange captive--a mutant with an extremely large, well, mutant tool.  This grossly elongated willie secretes a substance used to create a dangerous new drug that ends up being tested on one of Reece's unsuspecting patients, Jen (Jodie Jameson), a drug-addicted call girl trying to clean up her act.  Among other side effects, she suddenly develops a psychic link with the mutant which gives her visions related to whomever she touches.  In this way, she discovers a horrific link between Dr. Reece and her pimp-boyfriend Frank (Daniel Brocklebank). 

Well, kiddies, this is some pretty weird and (to use the word yet again) "dark" stuff, made all the more so by being played as straight drama.  Jodie Jameson is very good as Jen and earns our sympathy as the poor girl's life turns into a shock-horror/sci-fi nightmare.  Those with a taste for the bizarre will probably respond favorably to the whole mutant angle, although our final peek at the gargantuan Mr. Happy may, under the circumstances, provoke a few titters.  Still, a rather unsettling effort overall.

Lastly, Simon Rumley's "Bitch" is the least scary but most graphically sex-oriented segment.  Milquetoast bartender Pete (Tom Sawyer) is mired in a humiliating sado-masochistic relationship with Claire (Kate Braithwaite), who counteracts her paralyzing fear of dogs by treating Pete like one.  And I don't mean that figuratively--think leash, doghouse, the whole nine yards.  As Claire's abusive behavior begins to include boffing Pete's best friend Al right in front of him, the fed-up Pete hatches a sinister revenge scheme which will include--you guessed it--dogs.



"Bitch" is the longest segment and tends to meander a bit on its way to a not all that satisfying conclusion.  Pete's revenge is telegraphed so early that we pretty much know how it's going to end up, and sure enough, we're right--but by then, our imaginations have written a scene that the film can't match.  In fact, it doesn't even try to, setting up the horrific situation and then leaving us to conjure our own mental images once again.  But while the violence is implicit, the sexual content in "Bitch" is the most explicit yet, with a nude "bad-dog" Pete lifting his leg and whizzing in Claire's underwear drawer and Claire punishing him by donning a strap-on and going doggy-style on him. 

All three segments share certain behind-the-camera personnel to link them stylistically, including cinematographer Milton Kam, who gives everything a muted, autumnal look that's suitably atmospheric.  Performances range from good to fine, with familiar character actor Christopher Fairbank (FIFTH ELEMENT, ALIEN 3, BATMAN) making a welcome appearance in "Mutant Tool" as part of Dr. Reece's team.  The moody musical score is another asset. 

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 surround sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  Extras consist of interviews with the directors and a trailer.

"House and Home" is the best all-out horror yarn, "Mutant Tool" goes for weirdness in a big way, and "Bitch" follows scenes of graphic perversion with a diabolical but somewhat by-the-numbers revenge.  While the first story overwhelms the other two, LITTLE DEATHS as a whole is pleasantly unsettling and worth watching for horror fans on the lookout for something different. 


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LITTLE DEATHS -- DVD review by porfle

SLEDGE HAMMER!: THE COMPLETE SERIES -- DVD review by porfle

Having just watched the 5-DVD set SLEDGE HAMMER!: THE COMPLETE SERIES, I find that, once again, I dislike something at first and then end up liking it after further consideration.  This proves either one of two things: (a) I'm wishy-washy, or (b) you can't always go by first impressions.  I'm going to go with the second alternative, since it's less uncomplimentary toward me.

I have a vague memory of seeing an episode of this show during its first run (1986-88) and dismissing it as a crappy "Police Squad!" wannabe.  That criminally brief 1982 series (six big  episodes and out) by the Zucker brothers, which introduced Leslie Nielsen's celebrated "Frank Drebin" character and inspired the NAKED GUN movie trilogy, continued the same outlandishly farcical yet totally deadpan vibe of the Zuckers' AIRPLANE! on a smaller scale. 

Naturally, I was disappointed when I approached "Sledge Hammer!" expecting it to be more of the same.  What I finally realized after watching several episodes, however, is that this show is its own addlebrained entity--it's still a lightheaded farce that often resembles something out of MAD Magazine and celebrates silliness for its own sake, but the deadpan humor is shot through (pun alert!) with heaps of pure, giddy goofiness.  In fact, "Sledge Hammer!" works both when it's aping the bone-dry "Police Squad!" comedy style and when it's making funny faces at us.



It takes awhile to get its groove on, though.  The first episode is a bit of a mess--production values are murky, the direction and editing are flabby, and, worst of all, there's a laugh track pointing out the funny parts to us.  Still, it has John Vernon (ANIMAL HOUSE) as the mayor, who demands that Sledge be let loose on the case when his daughter is kidnapped by terrorists. 

There are some funny bits and Hammer's character, who is a cross between Dirty Harry and his watered-down TV equivalent "Hunter" (also a likable fascist cop with a female partner), is well established when he uses a bazooka to demolish an entire building in order to stop a sniper ("Trust me, I know what I'm doing" is his oft-heard motto).  Overall, though, it's pretty limp.

We get to watch the show get its bearings and start firing on more cylinders as the season progresses, with the scripts getting funnier and more daring, and the direction improving (Bill Bixby eventually helmed eight of the series' best episodes, with Dick Martin of "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" contributing a couple of good ones).  Despite its lesser moments, there's a relentless quality to the hot-and-cold-running gags and a sort of earnestness from the stars that makes the first season somehow likable.  And some of the gags actually score big laughs, as when Hammer and an informant (guest star Dennis Fimple) conduct a secret conversation via adjoining pay phones.



Before long, the chemistry between Hammer and his female partner Det. Dori Doreau starts to click.  RUNAWAY's Anne-Marie Martin (who, incidentally, co-wrote TWISTER with Michael Crichton) is an appealing foil for Hammer even though her comedic skills take awhile to develop, and their relationship has a certain charm--Doreau sees the good behind Hammer's fascist, violence-loving, ultra-right-wing exterior and eventually finds herself falling for him even though Hammer's first love is his gun, which he talks to and sleeps with. 

As Hammer, David Rasche (BURN AFTER READING, UNITED 93) has a firm grasp on the character from the start but also gets better as he goes along.  Rasche has a field day in the role, with his trigger-happy detective shooting first and asking questions later while gleefully roughing up everyone from jaywalkers to the mayor's wife.  He reels off one-liners like nobody's business--when a nagging reporter asks if he has any predictions, Hammer's deadpan response is, "Yes...scientists will perform the first brain transplant, and you'll be the recipient."  We eventually learn that Hammer thinks the death penalty is too lenient, his favorite song is "Taps", and the only thing he fears is world peace.

As season one comes to a close, just about the time Patrick Wayne does a delightful guest shot as Hammer's long-lost brother, the show really starts getting serious about being funny.  The season-one cliffhanger is insane, opening with a introduction by Robin Leach in which he announces that the series is making a bid for renewal by packing more sex and violence into the upcoming episode and ending with Hammer frantically trying to disarm a nuclear warhead that could annihilate the entire city.  Cult star Mary Woronov plays the mad villainess in this one, which actually does end with a nuclear explosion. 

How they resolve this open-ended situation at the start of season two is undoubtedly one of network television's nuttiest moments, with the show even changing its name temporarily as part of the joke!  And this is just the beginning of a series of episodes that get progressively more willing to be weird, while cast and crew all seem to be on the same page at last and making funny things happen.  Movie spoofs dominate, with films such as SHAMPOO, JAGGED EDGE, and VERTIGO getting the treatment (with the occasional misfire such as a weak parody of PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM). 

"Hammeroid" finds Hammer seriously wounded by a juggernaut robot (which is reminiscent of a similar character on the cult series "The Avengers") and turned into a cyborg a la ROBOCOP.  Fans of that movie should love this affectionate spoof, while Bela Lugosi fans are in for a treat with "Last of the Red Hot Vampires", in which "Love Boat" alumnus Bernie Kopel does a surprisingly good Lugosi imitation.  (The episode is "dedicated to Mr. Blasko", the actor's real last name.)



In "Jagged Sledge", Rasche gives a tour-de-force performance when Hammer must defend himself while on trial for the murder of a mob boss (the great Tige Andrews of "Mod Squad" fame).  Another episode, which finds Hammer going undercover as a prison convict involved in a breakout attempt, actually beats NAKED GUN 33 1/3 (1994) to the punch with a strangely similar premise.

Harrison Page (CARNOSAUR) is undoubtedly the funniest supporting actor in the role of Captain Trunk, a dead-on spoof of the perpetually screaming squad captain whose blood pressure is always sky-high thanks to Hammer's destructive hijinks.  Avoiding what could've been a one-note performance, Page is one of the best things about the show and is a constant delight.  In addition to those already mentioned, a sterling roster of guest stars includes Ronnie Schell, Bill Dana, Nicholas Guest, Ray Walston, David Clennon, Armin Shimerman, Richard Moll, Adam Ant, Brion James, Bud Cort, Mark Blankfield, and Russ Meyer regular Edy Williams.  Directors Bixby and Martin pop up in cameos.

The 5-disc DVD (22 episodes) from Image Entertainment is in 1.33:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital mono.  No subtitles or extras.

It's interesting watching a show go from blah to good as we see with SLEDGE HAMMER!: THE COMPLETE SERIES.  It may not be perfect but it's just plain fun, and by the time the last few episodes rolled around, I didn't want it to stop being Hammer Time. 


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SLEDGE HAMMER!: THE COMPLETE SERIES -- DVD review by porfle

"TRACK 29" starring Gary Oldman and Theresa Russell coming to DVD February 21st from Image Entertainment

“This performance by Oldman is another strong example of acting to put beside his work in Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears.” -Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“Russell and Oldman are consummate thesps able to reach the edge of frenzy (and beyond) while remaining fun and original.” -Variety

On February 21st, Image Entertainment will release the Handmade Films cult favorite Track 29, starring award-winning actor Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy, The Dark Knight, the upcoming Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).  Executive produced by George Harrison and written by Dennis Potter (Gorky Park, Pennies from Heaven, The Singing Detective), Track 29 will be available on DVD for the first time in the U.S. for an MSRP of $14.98.  Pre-book is January 24th. 

Linda Henry (Theresa Russell, Wild Things, “Fringe”) is tormented by her disappointments and dreams.  Unhappy with her barren marriage to surgeon Henry Henry (Christopher Lloyd, “Taxi,” the Back to the Future trilogy), she craves something to awaken her lonely existence.  She becomes captivated with Martin (Oldman), a hitchhiker who suddenly drops in on Linda claiming to be the child she gave up for adoption after a teenage pregnancy.  They spend time together trying to forge a bond, but bizarre events and behaviors make Linda wonder about this oddity who has shown up at her doorstep. 

Clever and audacious, Track 29 is an eccentric ride through truth and illusion.   Is Martin real, or a figment of Linda’s imagination?  Is he the son she gave up for adoption or a reflection of the desires she gave up so long ago?

Track 29 DVD
Genre:             Drama, Mystery/Suspense, 80s, Thriller
Rating:            R
Languages:      English 
Format:            Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:             Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles:         English
Year:               1988
SRP :                $14.98
Street Date:     February 21, 2012
Pre-Book:        January 24, 2012
Length:            90 minutes
UPC :               014381658521
Cat#:               ID6585HHDVD

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"TRACK 29" starring Gary Oldman and Theresa Russell coming to DVD February 21st from Image Entertainment

CHILLERAMA -- DVD review by porfle

When a group of monster-fan filmmakers get together and make an anthology flick that they say is inspired by their love of such things as Forry Ackerman's "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine and movies like TALES FROM THE CRYPT, it instantly gets my inner Monster Kid's attention.  But when the result is as uneven as CHILLERAMA (2011), the Kid has to give it one thumb up and one thumb sorta wavering between three and six o'clock.

Directors Adam Rifkin (LOOK, DETROIT ROCK CITY), Tim Sullivan (2001 MANIACS), Joe Lynch (WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END), and Adam Green (HATCHET) certainly show their love for the horror genre and "B" pictures of the 50s and 60s in particular with this parade of comedy carnage that's a send-up of the stuff we used to watch at the local drive-in.  The wraparound segments even take place at one--the Kaufman (as in Troma's Lloyd Kaufman, one of the film's many in-jokes), which is putting on one last all-night marathon of ultra-rare horror films before being torn down by Blumpco Industries. 

The boys do a good job of capturing the flavor of an old-fashioned night at the drive-in, with giddy film fans snuggling in their cozy cars in front of the big screen (which shows vintage trailers and refreshment bumpers) or hiking to the festive concession stand to stock up on junk food.  Familiar character actor Richard Riehle plays owner Cecil B. Kaufman, who spends the evening in the projection room pining over old times while toying with the idea of blowing his brains out.  Among the audience are good-natured hunk Miller (Ward Roberts), who has a crush on cute concession stand girl Desi (Laura Ortiz), and teens Tobe and Mayna (Corey Jones, Kaili Thorne), who have a crush on each other.



So far, so good, and the first movie on the menu is the best--Adam Rifkin's deliriously whacky "Wadzilla", the story of nebbishy business exec Miles Munson (Rifkin) seeking medical help for his fertility problem.  It seems that instead of producing lots of sperm cells, Miles can only manage one, so Dr. Weems (Ray Wise, "Twin Peaks") suggests a new, untested drug called Spermupermine.  Unfortunately, the drug only increases the size of Miles' one sperm cell which, after he's forced to "eject" it during a blind date with sexy Louise (Sarah Mutch), grows to monstrous proportions and begins to terrorize the city. 

Rifkin is surprisingly hilarious as Miles and displays a real talent for physical comedy while grappling wildly with the slippery creature during its early development.  Its rampage through the city streets, reminiscent of THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and similar giant monster flicks (including Woody Allen's EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX) is rendered with intentionally cheesy SPFX by the Chiodo brothers, including lots of stop-motion and puppetry, and comes to a climax (yes, yes, that was intentional) when the humongous sperm meets the one woman big enough to handle it--the Statue of Liberty.  Eric freakin' Roberts makes a welcome appearance as the frantic General Bukkake, who gives the order to commence "Operation Money Shot" before the sticky finish.

The bad thing about "Wadzilla" is that when it's over, CHILLERAMA has pretty much shot its wad and most of what comes after it suffers in comparison.  Tim Sullivan's "I Was a Teenage Werebear" tries really hard but this gay-themed spoof of troubled teen dramas, beach party flicks, and GREASE-type musicals never comes together as crisply as this sort of thing needs to in order to be effective.  The story of sexually-confused high schooler Ricky (controversial gay-porn star Sean Paul Lockhart) being seduced to the "dark side" by bad boy Talon (Anton Troy) and his werebear gang ("bears", incidentally, are big, hairy, leather-clad gay guys) is colorful and frenetic, yet most of the frat-level gay humor falls flat and the musical numbers are amateurish.



Sullivan, who is gay himself, does a nice turn as Ricky's burly gym coach, while Lin Shaye of KINGPIN and THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY isn't up to her usual standards in a take-off of the Maleva character from the Universal "Wolf Man" films.  The segment ends with the werebears attacking a beach concert and causing some HORROR OF PARTY BEACH-type chaos while Ricky, who has succumbed to the werebear curse himself, pleads for peace and understanding between the gays and straights.  While well-meaning and energetic, with a couple of funny scenes here and there, "I Was a Teenage Werebear" never really clicks.

Adam Green is up next with what is clearly the most eye-opening title, "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein."  Here, we discover that the Franks, a Jewish family hiding from the Nazis in a cramped attic in World War II (which, of course, really happened), are actually the Frankensteins and that young Anne possesses the diary of her grandfather, Dr. Frankenstein (which, I'm assuming, is made up).  Suddenly, Hitler himself and some Nazi goons bust the door down and, after a few comedy antics, gun down the Franks and steal the diary, with which Hitler and his sexy girlfriend Eva then create a hulking patchwork creature (out of "work camp parts") who resembles a cross between the Frankenstein Monster, Popeye, and a Hasidic Jew.

Whew.  Well, needless to say, this is some pretty wild and potentially offensive material, but Green attacks it with enthusiasm and creativity and so does his cast.  Shot entirely in subtitled German and in 30s-style black and white with a faux-ravaged look, this richly-photographed film is positively inexorable in forcing us to accept its comedy premise and laughing along with a crazed, screaming Hitler as manically played by Joel David Moore (AVATAR, HATCHET) in full mad doctor mode.

There's so much unrelenting wackiness going on here that much of it really is pretty funny if you let your defenses down, especially when Kane Hodder's one-of-a-kind monster comes to life--he's wonderful in the role, subtly expressive through a ton of incredible monster makeup and proving himself a talented comedian as he reacts dubiously to Hitler's insane rantings.  Eventually realizing his origins, he turns on his creator in an orgy of Jewish-revenge-porn violence (making this sort of a companion piece to INGLORIOUS BASTERDS) that's filled with chocolate-sauce blood, god-awful gore effects, and fourth-wall breaking.  And as if that weren't enough, Kane Hodder even gets to dance. 



A fourth film called "Deathication" begins to unwind upon the screen before its non-stop barrage of extreme scat jokes and visuals is mercifully cut short when CHILLERAMA's actual final segment, "Zom-B-Movie" (directed by Joe Lynch), takes over.  As seen in the film's prologue, drive-in employee Floyd (Miles Dougal of Rifkin's LOOK film and TV series) has become infected with a zombie virus after some graveyard necrophilia with his dead wife goes wrong, and he somehow spreads it to the theater patrons via an open can of popcorn butter. 

Thus, our heroes Miller, Tobe, and Mayna, along with the redoubtable Mr. Kaufman, find themselves in the middle of an undead sex-and-cannibalism orgy that invites comparison to better films such as Peter Jackson's DEAD ALIVE and Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD trilogy and is packed with endless references to other flicks as well.  Stuffed with as much action, gore, and zombie makeups as the budget would allow, the sequence is fun but not particularly inspired, and becomes somewhat tiresome before it's done. 

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 surround sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  Bonus stuff includes a commentary with all four directors, "Wadzilla" deleted scenes and trailer, "The Making of 'The Diary of Anne Frankenstein'", "I Was a Teenage Werebear" extras (making-of, deleted scenes, and trailer), "Zom-B-Movie" deleted scenes, director interviews, and the film's trailers.  The marathon closing credits crawl also features a lot of extra footage including a kickass music video for Young Beautiful In a Hurry's "I Don't Want to Die a Virgin" by Brendan McCreary.

Despite the fact that it isn't as perfect as I wanted it to be, CHILLERAMA gets goodwill points just for being what it is--a love letter to the Monster Kid in all of us.  It's worth watching for its good parts (especially "Wadzilla") and the overall atmosphere of nostagia it evokes for a time when going to the drive-in to watch a few cheap horror flicks was just about one of the most fun things you could imagine doing.


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CHILLERAMA -- DVD review by porfle

"DON'T LET HIM IN" from Image Entertainment -- coming to DVD January 3rd

FROM IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT: WHEN TERROR DARES TO STEP OVER THE THRESHHOLD… "DON’T LET HIM IN"

Crossing onto DVD January 3, 2012

Chatsworth, CA – A quiet weekend getaway in the country becomes a nightmarish race for survival! On January 3, 2012, Image Entertainment releases Don’t Let Him In on DVD. Premiering at this year’s BAFTAs®, Don’t Let Him In is already creating a buzz amongst the horror community on this side of the Atlantic. SRP is $27.97, and pre-book is December 6.

Paige (Sophie Linfield, Mrs. Palfrey at The Claremont) and Calvin (Rhys Meredith, “Henry VIII,” “State of Play”) have decided to leave the city for the weekend to enjoy the calming English countryside.  Their rural retreat is interrupted when Calvin’s brazen sister brings along Tristan (Gordon Alexander, Sucker Punch), a city trader she picked up a one-night stand.  Relations turn from uncomfortable to unnerving when the group learns  a serial killer -- “The Tree Surgeon”—has been terrorizing the area.  When the facts start to fall into place, and the blood begins to flow, they will have to face the true nature of their uninvited guest.

Also starring Sam Hazeldine (“Midsomer Murders,” the upcoming The Raven) Don’t Let Him In “delivers on the body count, has an awesome serial killer, and there’s a nice twist at the end.” (QuietEarth.us)  It is a cautionary tale full of foreboding and fear, ending with a warning that resonates throughout the English woods:  Don’t Let Him In!

About Image Entertainment:
Image Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: DISK ) is a leading independent licensee and distributor of entertainment programming in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and more than 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights, as well as digital download rights to over 2,100 video programs and approximately 400 audio titles containing more than 6,000 individual tracks. The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth , California . For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com.

Don’t Let Him In DVD
Genre:                         Drama, Horror, Thriller, Slashers/Serial Killers, Mystery/Suspense
Rating:                        Not Rated
Language:                   English
Format:                        Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                     English, Spanish
Year:                           2011
MSRP:                        $27.97
Street Date:                 January 3, 2012
Pre-Book:                    December 6, 2011
Length:                        80 minutes
UPC:                           014381768022
Cat#:                           IMW7680DVD

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"DON'T LET HIM IN" from Image Entertainment -- coming to DVD January 3rd

LOOK: SEASON 1 -- DVD review by porfle

If you liked writer-director Adam Rifkin's 2007 mockumentary LOOK as much as I did, then this Showtime television series of the same name is worth spying on as well.  With its eleven half-hour episodes, LOOK: SEASON 1 (2010) is a long-form continuation of the film, identical in style but with an almost entirely new cast of characters whose private lives we observe in minute detail through the lenses of all those hundreds of security cameras, camcorders, and other electronic eyeballs that are constantly trained upon each and every one of us more often than we'd like to imagine.

While this may sound like an awkward way to tell a story, it's surprisingly easy to get used to.  The fact that Rifkin has no shortage of camera angles to choose from in most scenes reminds us of just how many hidden cameras there are watching us, with the variety of media and unique look of each one keeping the show's visuals fresh. 

This also lets the director add some unexpected dramatic accents here and there, such as a sudden traffic-cam freeze-frame on a driver's face or an aerial sweep from one part of the city to another via a geological survey map.  All of this footage is cleverly edited, with zoom-ins for emphasis and rewinds to reveal things we missed first time through, as though manipulated by some omniscient storyteller.



All of this is aimed at titillating our inner voyeur--let's face it, it's fun to watch other people when they don't know we're watching them--and what's more fun to peep at than illicit sex and nudity?  LOOK, not surprisingly, is loaded with both.  As in the film, much of it is due to the antics of two spoiled, narcissistic high school girls, Molly (Ali Cobrin) and Hannah (Sharon Hinnendael), and, also as in the film, these underage characters are played by twenty-somethings to allow us guilt-free gawking as they prance around naked before various cameras or shoot homemade porno flicks. 

Although pretending to be her best friend, Hannah is deviously plotting a romantic match between virgin Molly and bad-boy jock Shane (Colton Haynes) only to set her up for a fall.  Meanwhile, we watch them skipping class and liberally wielding their credit cards at the mall--lounging through expensive pedicures and massages, binging and purging fast food, and cavorting in dressing rooms while whooping, dope-smoking security guards ogle them via a bank of video monitors.  An added dimension to this and other subplots is our ability to eavesdrop whenever characters text each other, revealing the various deceptions upon which entire relationships are often based.

Also holding up her end in the sex department is bored, coked-up housewife Stella (Claudia Christian, the gun-toting alien-possessed stripper from THE HIDDEN), who voraciously screws strange men in her own livingroom under the watchful eye of a home security camera while mild-mannered husband Leonard toils late at the office to support her lavish lifestyle.  Christian is a marvel to watch as her comically repellent character blows through the series like an ill wind, neglecting her children, mercilessly browbeating Leonard, griping about her oppressive life while getting bikini waxed, and indignantly berating a mall cop who catches her shoplifting. 

Other storylines are less sex-centric but equally interesting.  There's Dan the Weatherman (Robert Curtis Brown), a local meteorologist whose cornball antics during his TV news segments are popular with the oldsters but a constant agony to station programmer Andy (Jordan Belfi) who's striving for a hipper audience.  Brown is the perfect smarmy, golden-voiced, fake-cheerful weatherman type (which is why daughter Hannah despises him), while Belfi's Andy revels in being despicable not only to Dan, whom he's plotting against, but to everyone else as well. 

After Andy haughtily dresses down a waiter for bringing the wrong kind of sauce for his shrimp, the hidden camera reveals the secret ingredient the waiter adds to it before presenting it to the disgruntled customer, confirming one of our worst fears about dining out.  Andy's habit of visiting a local strip club after work for a "lapdance 'n' more" will become an integral part in one character's precipitous downfall later on.



The sole survivors from the original film are gangly mini-mart clerk Willie (Giuseppe Andrews), an aspiring singer-songwriter, and his slacker pal Carl (Miles Dougal), who seems to live at the store.  A lot happens during Willie's graveyard shift including a naked rampage by a pathetic, mentally unbalanced homeless man whom we observe throughout the series, never having a clue about how he sunk to such a sad state until the final episode.  The site is also visited by a carload of drive-by paintball assassins who plague the city during the season, one of their victims being a terrified Dan the Weatherman as he does a live location spot.

Several of the show's other characters pass through the mini-mart sooner or later--Leonard, Hannah and Molly, Andy (who, as you might expect, gripes at Willie for no reason), a couple of cops who become familiar after a few episodes, and a serial rapist (Richard Speight, Jr.) whose chance encounter with one of the main characters supplies a chilling cliffhanger ending to the season.  Much is made of Willie and Carl staging a live concert at the store to draw attention to Willie's music, and, while that particular storyline didn't do much for me, our frequent visits to this setting do provide some much-needed comic relief from some of the grimmer aspects of the series. 

The 2-disc DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.78:1 widescreen with Dolby stereo sound and English subtitles.  There are no extras.

While some of the segments may seem a bit pointless and unrelated at first, the slowly-developing storylines (Rifkin is able to take his time here much more than in the movie) eventually begin to intersect and intertwine in interesting, funny, and often very surprising ways.  Other random vignettes (the booger incident is a cringeworthy example) may serve merely to illustrate some of the things that happen to us all the time which we're unaware of.  But the camera--our impassive, ever-present observer--sees all, knows all, and the addictively entertaining LOOK: SEASON 1 shows all.


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LOOK: SEASON 1 -- DVD review by porfle

THE RIVER WHY -- DVD review by porfle

THE RIVER WHY (2010) is a fishing movie, but it's not aimed at the kind of fishermen who like to toss a cooler full of beer into their bass boat and head out to the lake.  Rather, it's a sweetly boring story about the placid art of fly fishing, the people who love it and live it, and how it represents life.  Not exactly exciting, but then again, if you wanted excitement you wouldn't be watching a movie about fly fishing.

Gus (Zach Gilford) is undergoing a spiritual crisis, because (a) he doesn't like being called by his full name, Augustine, which his dad (William Hurt), a renowned fishing author, insists on doing, and (b) he's fed up with his mom (Kathleen Quinlan) and dad constantly arguing, even though they only argue about fishing and their arguments are about as benign as marital arguments can be.  But all this is still too much for Gus to take, so one night during dinner he erupts in a fit of anger, throws his dad's prized fish trophy into the fireplace, and flees to a secluded cabin on a river in Oregon to fish, fish, fish.  Thus begins Gus' spiritual journey.

This is one of those "go find yourself in the woods" movies with the main character narrating his story in would-be poetic ways that sometimes get a little too on-the-nose; as with Harrison Ford's voiceover in BLADE RUNNER, we could probably do without lines like "As we walked upriver, I felt like we were on a primordial journey to some forgotten ancient home.  The fisherman in me was being unmade."  The often beautiful visuals are enough to help us figure out what's happening in scenes such as this, which is one of the reasons we watch movies adapted from literary works instead of just listening to books-on-tape.

Seeking solitude, Gus naturally runs into a succession of eccentric characters such as wilderness philosopher Titus (Dallas Roberts), whose casually brilliant insight helps define Gus' search for his soul.  Titus is one of those characters whose stilted speech comes off better on the written page and is hard for any actor to play realistically.  Roberts does his best, though.  His erudite refugee from the big city helps Gus see the beauty and poetry in fly fishing and how it relates to life, and even gives him soul-searching pointers over a game of pool in a local bar.  Then, his job done, he disappears from the film. 

William Devane makes a brief appearance as Dutch, a fishing columnist who's so thrilled by some pointers given to him by Gus that he turns the recluse into something of a sought-after local celebrity.  Gus toys with the notion of reconnecting with the human race but rejects it, just in time to run right into the love of his life, a pretty blonde fisherwoman named Eddy (Amber Heard).  Metaphors like "the one that got away", "hard to land", and "reeling her in" define their somewhat tiresomely coy courtship after a series of meet-cutes in a movie where just about every meeting is a meet-cute.  Gus and Titus meet cute, Gus and Dutch meet cute--even in a flashback that shows Gus' mom and dad's first riverside dispute over a prized fish, they meet cute.  Apparently, fly fishing has this effect on people.

While Gus searches for his soul at the end of a fishing pole, director Matthew Leutwyler gives it all a lazy-day feel that viewers will find either relaxing or excruciating, with some acoustic guitar ballads wafting airily through each scene.  Gus finally goes on that "primordial journey" with a fish late in the film, bringing his spiritual quest to just enough of a climax that it registers as a turning point in his life.  Which, at this point, is just about as much excitement as we can stand.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 2.35:1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 surround sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  The sole extra is a selection of brief cast and crew interviews.

At first, THE RIVER WHY had such a gentle, homespun vibe that I didn't even want a story to intrude and disturb it.  After awhile, though, I started to feel as though I were fly fishing myself for hours on end without getting a bite.  But I guess that's part of the experience--the act of fishing itself is a slow, contemplative thing that is its own reward.  As for me, I found this movie somewhat rewarding in the same way that I enjoy taking an afternoon nap.



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THE RIVER WHY -- DVD review by porfle

Experience "LITTLE DEATHS" on DVD from Image Entertainment -- coming December 13th

“Given the rich history the UK currently enjoys and the long line of horror anthology predecessors, the latest addition to the movement, Little Deaths, is certainly the sickest of the bunch.” -- Fearnet.com

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT INVITES YOU TO SAMPLE "LITTLE DEATHS"

Enter the Forbidden December 13th

CHATSWORTH, CA – What would you do for the ultimate sexual rush? Welcome to a world where illicit sexual desire propels seemingly ordinary people to act out fantasies that can separate monotony from ecstasy…but also transform life into agonizing death! On December 13th, Image Entertainment releases the critically acclaimed psychological thriller Little Deaths on unrated DVD. The opening night film at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, Little Deaths presents three titillating and terrifying tales of sex, power – and retribution – and what happens when these primal forces are violated. SRP is $27.97, and pre-book is November 15th.

In the vein of such classic horror anthologies as “Dead of Night,” “Tales from the Crypt” and “Tales from the Darkside,” Little Deaths takes the hunger for sex beyond pain and pleasure into the realm of a living nightmare. Have at it...if you dare!

In “House & Home,” written and directed by Sean Hogan, the ultimate revenge fantasy gets a kinky upgrade. Affluent couple Richard and Victoria (Luke DeLacey and Suibhan Harrison) have a particularly debasing sexual foible. They pose as religious good Samaritans and lure less fortunate women to their luxurious home, only to abduct and assault them as part of their “entitlement” to the good life. But their latest capture, a homeless woman named “Sorrow” (Holly Lucas), just might show that they’ve bit off more than they can chew...

In Andrew Parkinson’s “Mutant Tool,” Jennifer (Jodie Jamieson) is a former prostitute and drug addict trying to get her life back on track, but living with her former pimp/drug dealing boyfriend Frank (Daniel Brocklebank) isn’t helping matters. Jen’s seeing a psychiatrist, who suddenly has Jen taking a new medication. While warned of potential side effects, Jen starts experiencing psychic connections and shocking visions of someone behind plastic curtains – bound, helmeted, dangling in the air and in a painful state of perpetual sexual arousal. As these hallucinations intensify, Jen comes to realize that she’s part (with Frank’s collaboration) of a terrifying experiment in manufacturing – and bottling – the ultimate sexual high.

Written and directed by Simon Rumley – the indie sensation behind Red, White and Blue -- “Bitch” details the sado-masochistic relationship between receptionist Claire (Kate Braithwaite) and her docile and obedient boyfriend Pete (Tom Sawyer). Ironically, while Claire literally treats Pete like a dog – going so far as occasionally leashing him and having him sleep in a doghouse – Claire also suffers from a pathological fear of canines. But when Claire’s sexual games become more than he can bear, Pete puts in motion a series of events that will not only give Claire a taste of her own medicine, but add new meaning to “going to the dogs...” 

About Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is a leading independent licensee and distributor of entertainment programming in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and more than 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights, as well as digital download rights to over 2,100 video programs and approximately 400 audio titles containing more than 6,000 individual tracks. The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth, California. For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com. 

Little Deaths DVD
Genre:              Horror, Thriller
Rating:              Unrated
Languages:       English
Format:            Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:              Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:           English, Spanish
SRP:                $27.97
Street Date:      December 13, 2011
Pre-Book:        November 15, 2011
Length:             94 minutes
UPC:                014381767629
Cat#:                IMW7676DVD
Bonus:              Behind-The-Scenes

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Experience "LITTLE DEATHS" on DVD from Image Entertainment -- coming December 13th

The title says it all: "NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS" coming to Blu-ray and DVD this Valentine's Day from Image Entertainment

THEY’RE WEARING HABITS AND PACKING HEAT! IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS "NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS"

Locked And Loaded on Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 14, 2012

Chatsworth, CA – The convent:  a place of peace and quiet, a retreat for the cultivation of spirituality.  Hardly the backdrop for criminality, abuse – and revenge! On February 14, 2012, Image Entertainment presents Nude Nuns with Big Guns – a story of good vs. evil; of a war fought in the most unlikely of places.  An epic adventure in the grindhouse tradition, Nude Nuns with Big Guns will be available on DVD for an MSRP of $27.97 and on Blu-ray™ for an MSRP of $29.97.  Pre-book is January 17, 2012. 

Shortly after entering a convent, Sister Sarah becomes enslaved and victimized by drug-pushing predators that lurk within that haven.  Suddenly there is only one message that matters to Sarah – and it isn’t a divine one!  Seeking revenge against those who would desecrate her heavenly refuge, she becomes a sister of no mercy. Changing her spiritual vows to earthly vengeance, Sarah goes on a rampage against these unholy men and their profane partners in crime, a gang known as Los Muertos.  Packed with sex, violence, and unhallowed havoc, Nude Nuns with Big Guns is cut from the same cloth as the great drive-in action classics – a celestial grindhouse experience! 

Starring Asun Ortega (“Friends with Benefits”), David Castro (The Lincoln Lawyer), and Perry D’Marco (“Malcolm In The Middle) Nude Nuns with Big Guns is an tale of retribution and justice…where charity ends and cruelty begins!  Against Sarah’s righteous anger, her enemies haven’t a prayer of a chance! 

For your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, nothing says “I love you” like Nude Nuns with Big Guns!

About Image Entertainment:
Image Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: DISK ) is a leading independent licensee and distributor of entertainment programming in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and more than 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights, as well as digital download rights to over 2,100 video programs and approximately 400 audio titles containing more than 6,000 individual tracks. The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth , California . For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com.

Nude Nuns with Big Guns Blu-ray™
Genre:                        Action/Adventure, Thriller, Feature Film
Rating:                        Unrated
Language:                   English 
Format:                       Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)  
Audio:                         DTS HD Master Audio 5.1               
Subtitles:                     N/A 
Year:                           2010
M SRP :                        $29.97
Street Date:                 February 14, 2012
Pre-Book:                    January 17, 2012
Length:                        92 minutes
UPC :                           014381751253
Cat#:                           CAM7512BD

Nude Nuns with Big Guns DVD
Genre:                        Action/Adventure, Thriller, Feature Film
Rating:                        Unrated
Language:                   English 
Format:                       Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)  
Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                     N/A 
Year:                           2010
M SRP :                        $27.97
Street Date:                 February 14, 2012
Pre-Book:                    January 17, 2012
Length:                        92 minutes
UPC :                           014381738421
Cat#:                           CAM7384DVD

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DVD
Blu-Ray

The title says it all: "NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS" coming to Blu-ray and DVD this Valentine's Day from Image Entertainment

Adam Rifkin's "LOOK: SEASON 1" coming to DVD November 29th from Image Entertainment

YOU ARE NEVER REALLY ALONE

“Clever, interesting and disturbing." - USA Today
"I love this show!" - MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
"The series has taken voyeurism to a new level." - Los Angeles Times

Based On Adam Rifkin’s Critically Acclaimed And Award-Winning Film -- Opening Your Eyes on DVD November 29

Chatsworth, CA – Who are the people that attract the most relentless camera attention?  Movie stars?  Politicians?  No:  average Americans are the subjects of approximately 40 million surveillance cameras, their actions captured over 200 times a day… never aware of this unwelcome focus. 

On November 29, Image Entertainment presents the hit Showtime Original series “LOOK: Season 1,” based on Adam Rifkin’s (The Dark Backward, co-director of Chillerama) unblinking feature LOOK, the original 2009 film which the Los Angeles Times hailed as “brilliant,” and USA Today called “powerful.” Written, co-produced and directed by Rifkin, “LOOK:  Season 1” focuses on our privacy and secrets…and the silent voyeurs that threaten them.  All eleven episodes will be available on DVD for an MSRP of $24.98.  Prebook is November 1. 

In department stores, gas stations, even public bathrooms, no one is safe from the persistent stare of the cameras hidden in every corner of day-to-day life. Shot entirely from the viewpoint of security cameras, LOOK:  Season 1 paints a shocking picture of what people do when they believe they’re alone.   Following its characters throughout the series, the camera does not judge or criticize – but you just might. And you will begin to look over your shoulder, to peer into your surroundings…and wonder:  is anybody watching? LOOK: Season 1 is based on the original 2009 film written and directed by Rikfin.

With a cast that features Matt Bushell (“Castle,” “The Mentalist”), Colton Haynes (“Teen Wolf”) Lee Reherman (“General Hospital,” “Medium”) and Haley Hudson (Marley and Me, “Weeds”) LOOK:  Season 1 is a thought-provoking view into private actions and hidden truths.  It explores our secret lives and makes us think:  Are we always alone when we think we are?

LOOK:  Season 1 DVD
Genre:                        Drama, Television
Rating:                        Not rated
Language:                   English 
Format:                      Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:                        Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:                     English, Spanish
Year:                          2010
SRP :                          $24.98
Street Date:                 November 29, 2011
Pre-Book:                   November 1, 2011
Length:                       308 minutes
UPC :                         014381714326
Cat#:                         CTL7143DVD

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Adam Rifkin's "LOOK: SEASON 1" coming to DVD November 29th from Image Entertainment

"SLEDGE HAMMER! THE COMPLETE SERIES" coming December 13th from Image Entertainment

SLEDGE HAMMER!  THE COMPLETE SERIES From Image Entertainment December 13th

Both Seasons On One Complete DVD Set For The Very First Time – At A Great Low Price!

Using extreme force to enforce the law, Sledge Hammer is a trigger-happy crime fighter who’s gunning for criminals – be they murderers or jaywalkers!   On December 13, Image Entertainment presents “Sledge Hammer!  The Complete Series,” the notoriously funny cult comedy about a clueless cop who always gets results:  one hilarious way or another!   Including both seasons – all 41 episodes – “Sledge Hammer!  The Complete Series” will be available as a 5-disc DVD set for an explosive SRP of $34.98.  Pre-book is November 15. 

Sledge Hammer:  known for battling the Mafia, revolutionaries, even an Elvis impersonator serial killer; notorious for tying a gangster to the hood of his car (“my favorite hood ornament”). David Rasche (Burn After Reading, “Bored to Death,” “All My Children,” “Rubicon”) stars as Sledge, the multi-decorated – and multi-suspended – rebel cop his boss, Captain Trunk (Harrison Page – “JAG,” “Ally McBeal”), relies on time and time again. Sometimes using grenades, Uzi machine guns or bazookas, Sledge is never far from his beloved .44 Magnum in his comedic quest to make the streets safe for all law-abiding citizens.

Created by Alan Spencer, and co-starring Anne-Marie Martin as Dori Doreau, Sledge’s long-suffering partner in crime-fighting, “Sledge Hammer!” episodes were directed by such notables as Bill Bixby (“My Favorite Martian,” “The Incredible Hulk”), Charles Braverman (“Melrose Place,” “Northern Exposure”) and Jackie Cooper (Treasure Island, the Christopher Reeve Superman films). Wanna make your day? Get “Sledge Hammer! The Complete Series DVD!”

Sledge Hammer!  The Complete Series DVD
Genre:             Comedy, Television, Cops, Crime/Criminals, Crooked Cops
Rating:            Not Rated
Languages:      English 
Format:            1.33:1
Audio:             Dolby Digital Mono
Year:               1986
SRP :                $34.98
Street Date:     December 13, 2011
Pre-Book:        November 15, 2011
Length:            1,025 minutes
UPC :               014381776522                       
Catalog #:        LAK7765DVD

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"SLEDGE HAMMER! THE COMPLETE SERIES" coming December 13th from Image Entertainment

"HALF PINT BRAWLERS: SEASON 1" Coming to DVD November 15 From Image Entertainment

FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF "JACKASS: THE MOVIE" -- IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT UNLEASHES "HALF PINT BRAWLERS: SEASON 1"


WARNING! It’s Extreme, Absurd And On DVD November 15, 2011

CHATSWORTH, CA– Imagine a show that’s “Jackass” meets Girls Gone Wild meets “Little People, Big World!” On November 15, 2011, Image Entertainment releases Half Pint Brawlers: Season 1 on DVD, a truly uproarious, outrageous and unpredictable reality show.  A hit since it premiered on TV, the series follows the exploits of a group of little wrestlers, with big ambitions, who travel the country to put on unforgettable shows for some very rowdy fight fans – including those locked up in a maximum security prison! All six episodes (plus footage not seen on TV) of the rough and tumble reality program are on DVD with an SRP of $14.98. Pre-book is October 18th.

From the executive producer of Jackass: The Movie, Half Pint Brawlers: Season 1 chronicles the often-absurd yet astonishing and weird adventures of one of the most extraordinary performance groups in the country. These self-proclaimed hardcore little person wrestlers, led by their gregarious owner, Puppet "The Psycho Dwarf," entertain crowds in venues all across the U.S. with their unique brand of wrestling prowess and in-your-face personalities.

Along the way, Puppet must deal with issues surrounding little person wrestling events while at the same time keeping his rambunctious wrestlers in line. As "The Brawlers" travel the underground wrestling circuit, you’ll have a front row seat to see all of the action inside the ring… and their wild, chaotic lifestyles outside the ring.

Episodes: 28 Stitches to the Head, The Rookie Pays His Dues, Little Persons, Big Easy, The Southern Pride Festival, Mischief in Mexico, The Littlest Battle Royale Ever!

The Brawlers were featured in the Jackass 3-D movie and have made unforgettable appearances on “The Best Damn Sports Show,” “MTV’s Real World,” “Fox and Friends,” and have even performed at rock concerts by Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker and Sevendust.  But here is Half Pint Brawlers: Season 1 at its unfiltered and uncompromising best, it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before - a true no holds barred experience! So get ready to watch Puppet and his gang of little people as they use staple guns, thumb tacks, broken bottles and barbed wire in creative new ways that will leave you asking, “What will they do next?”

About Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: DISK) is a leading independent licensee and distributor of entertainment programming in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and more than 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights, as well as digital download rights to over 2,100 video programs and approximately 400 audio titles containing more than 6,000 individual tracks. The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth, California. For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com.

Half Pint Brawlers: Season 1 DVD
Genre:             TV/Special Interest
Rating:             NR
Language:        English
Format:            Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:             Dolby Digital 5.1 
Year:               2010
SRP:                $14.98
Street Date:     November 15, 2011
Pre-Book         October 18, 2011
Length:            132 minutes
UPC:               014381733723
Cat#:               ID7337 HDVD

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"HALF PINT BRAWLERS: SEASON 1" Coming to DVD November 15 From Image Entertainment

"CHILLERAMA" from Image Entertainment -- Coming November 29th to Blu-ray and DVD

"Chillerama is a Late Night Classic for the new millennium." — Jason Bene, Killerfilm.com


"The most offensively nostalgic fun time I’ve personally experienced in theaters in I don’t know how long." — Aaronflux, Dread Central


"Ghoulishly good and delicious." — Why So Blu?


"Highly recommended fun." — Fangoria


"Worth checking out for a laugh and some seriously gross-out moments." — Shock Till You Drop


CHILLERAMA FROM IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT – INVADING A HOME NEAR YOU NOVEMBER 29TH

CHATSWORTH, CA – After a triumphant premiere at the famed Hollywood Forever Cemetery and after grossing out, er, entertaining audiences all over the country with a 20-city Roadshow Tour, the long-awaited new cult classic finally comes home! On November 29th, Image Entertainment unleashes the horror anthology CHILLERAMA to home theaters everywhere on unrated Blu-ray™ and DVD. SRP is $29.97 for the Blu-ray™ and $27.97 for the DVD. Pre-book is November 1st.

From the depraved minds of directors Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City, The Dark Backward), Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs,VH-1’s “Scream Queens”), Adam Green (Hatchet, Frozen), and Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2, Knights of Badassdom), CHILLERAMA is a festival of gore, guts, goofiness and good times. In addition to experiencing all the chills, thrills – and goo – of the ultimate midnight movie in high-definition 1080p picture and DTS-HD audio, CHILLERAMA boasts two hours of insightful and heretofore unseen bonus features that delve deep into the creative process of these four renowned directors of the macabre, as they labored and toiled to create a cinematic love letter to horror and film fans.  

Produced by ArieScope Pictures and in the spirit of classic “omnibus” films like Dead of Night, Tales From the Crypt, Creepshow and Twilight Zone: The Movie, with four vignettes that not only celebrate the golden age of B horror schlock but also nearly the entire history of horror cinema itself, CHILLERAMA offers something for every bad taste.  With titles like “Wadzilla,” “I Was A Teenage Werebear,” The Diary of Anne Frankenstein,” and “Zom-B-Movie,” CHILLERAMA features appearances by Joel David Moore (Avatar, Hatchet), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Ray Wise (X-Men: First Class), Kane Hodder (Hatchet and Hatchet II), Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, Sharktopus) and more cameos than one can (body)count.  

It's the closing night at the last drive-in theater in America and Cecil B. Kaufman (Richard Riehle, Bridesmaids, Hatchet) has planned the ultimate marathon of lost film prints to unleash upon his faithful cinephile patrons.  Four films so rare that they have never been exhibited publicly on American soil until this very night!  What could possibly go wrong? 

Bonus features on CHILLERAMA Blu-ray™ and DVD include:
Directors' Video Commentary
Wadzilla Deleted Scenes and Trailer
The Making of The Diary of Anne Frankenstein
I Was A Teenage Werebear Behind the Scenes, Deleted Scenes, and Trailer
Zom-B-Movie Deleted Scenes
Directors' Interviews
Original Theatrical Trailer 

For more information, check out www.chillerama.com.

About ArieScope Pictures
ArieScope Pictures is a feature film and television production company based in Los Angeles. Founded in 1998 by writer/director Adam Green, cinematographer Will Barratt, and producer Cory Neal, ArieScope Pictures has become a leader in original independent genre film production bringing titles to the screen such as HATCHET, HATCHET 2, FROZEN, GRACE, and SPIRAL. For more information on ArieScope Pictures, please visit www.ariescope.com.

About Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is a leading independent licensee and distributor of entertainment programming in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and more than 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights, as well as digital download rights to over 2,100 video programs and approximately 400 audio titles containing more than 6,000 individual tracks. The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth, California. For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com.

Chillerama Blu-ray™
Genre:             Action / Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Feature Film, Fantasy, Musical/Performing Arts
Rating:             Unrated
Format:            Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:              DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles:          English, Spanish
SRP:                $29.97
Street Date:     November 29, 2011
Pre-Book:        November 1, 2011
Length:            120 minutes
UPC:               014381700459
Cat#:               CHI7004BD

Chillerama DVD
Genre:            Action / Adventure, Comedy, Horror, Feature Film, Fantasy, Musical/Performing Arts
Rating:            Unrated
Languages:      English
Format:           Anamophic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:             Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:          English, Spanish
SRP:                $27.97
Street Date:      November 29, 2011
Pre-Book:        November 1, 2011
Length:            120 minutes
UPC:               014381673821
Cat#:               CHI6738DVD


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DVD
Blu-Ray

"CHILLERAMA" from Image Entertainment -- Coming November 29th to Blu-ray and DVD

A LITTLE HELP -- DVD review by porfle

A LITTLE HELP (2010) is one of those chick-flicks that isn't all that bad once you actually find yourself sitting down to watch it--usually against your will--although if you're like me you'll spend the entire running time wishing the Terminator would break the door down and start annihilating everybody.

Jenna Fischer ("The Office") plays Laura Pehlke, a recently-widowed young mom whose life is crashing down around her.  Jenna manages to make her mousey, indecisive character somewhat endearing enough so that we can stand her for an hour-and-a-half.  Some of her more amusing scenes have her working as a dental hygienist with a parrot constantly squawking over her shoulder.  The best ones involve Laura and her overweight, misfit son Dennis, played by Daniel Yelsky in his movie debut.

Yelsky is the best thing about A LITTLE HELP.  As Daniel, he's a painfully insecure little kid with the soul of a Borscht Belt comic.  Yelsky's delivery is priceless even when he's obviously reading his lines from cue cards--he's both deadpan funny and dramatically impressive in some crackling exchanges that allow him and Fischer to really have at each other (particularly the "You suck!" scene and the "9-11 is cooler" scene).  Even the part where they sing along with "Runaround Sue" in the car is bearable (along with the "bad date with the wrong guy" scenario, the "singing along to an oldie" thing seems to be a chick-flick staple).

Laura's life is taken over by her hellishly overbearing sister Kathy (Brooke Smith, the abducted girl from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) and meddling mom (Lesley Ann Warren), who coerce her into putting Daniel into a private school and suing her late husband's doctor for malpractice.  This takes place during a brow-beating "intervention" which is cringe-inducing for anyone who's experienced anything similar.  As the litigating lawyer, the great Kim Coates ("Chet" from THE LAST BOY SCOUT) gets a role he can really sink his teeth into, which is fun to watch. 

Daniel, meanwhile, has been trying to fit in at his new school by telling everyone his dad was a fireman hero on 9-11, a colossal lie that snowballs until Laura is caught up in it herself.  This yields both humor and ultimately devastation when they're both found out.  One theme of the film seems to be that lying is just bad all around because the truth always comes out.  I learned that way back in the Our Gang short "Don't Lie" but I guess you can never hear it enough times.  

Ron Leibman's deft comedy touch livens up his turn as Laura's dad, and Sam McMurray (RAISING ARIZONA) is good as an irreverent D.J. (Dion does a cameo as one of his interview subjects).  Chris O'Donnell's okay as Laura's husband, Bob, but he's only in the movie long enough to kick off and throw her life into chaos.  As Kathy's easygoing, henpecked husband Paul, Rob Benedict plays a likable enough character until he confesses that he's always been in love with Laura and starts getting creepy.  In fact, their entire subplot is kind of icky, and the fact that it's part of the emotional heart of the film gives off a "please don't go there" vibe that's averted by mere chance.

Writer-director Michael J. Weithorn, making his feature film debut here, handles the direction and editing well but Fischer and Yelsky's performances are the main reason the story isn't as lightweight as it could've been.  Things still tend to get a little cloying and overly contemplative whenever one of Jakob Dylan's soulful songs intrudes, but that's something you just have to expect when you're watching a film like this. 

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 surround sound and English subtitles.  Extras consist of a trailer and TV spot, a Jakob Dylan music video, and a number of thumbnail promotional interviews with cast and director.

The main message of A LITTLE HELP is the usual stand up for yourself, darkest before the dawn stuff.  We see the darkest but we don't see any of the dawn due to a somewhat abrupt ending, so we're left to assume Laura is on the verge of finally getting her head out of her ass.


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A LITTLE HELP -- DVD review by porfle