DVD Movie Review #80 High School of the Dead

Here we are again with another DVD movie review. I have really hoped to get this for a long time but was unwilling to do so due to the price. I like horror shows and wanted to see an anime that was based on Horror type zombie films. I also was hoping that I could have an anime that I could watch with my girlfriend as she loves the horror genre. Of course with this and the OVA came up on 12 Days of Anime I had to go for it. In this review I will also cover the OVA as it was only 15 minutes and it is just an extension of the main story. Both Prices and pictures will be included below.

This story starts with a sad break between childhood friends due to the female friend choosing another guy to fall with. This doesn't last long as a rather sick man shows up at the school gates and bites a teacher leading to the start of the zombie apocalypse and Japan being overrun. The remaining teens fight for survival with sadistic teachers and manic students.

The OVA follows them on a brief story to a supposed deserted island while they get high on leaves and make out.

Ok lets start with the good. There really is a good story here. I love the walking dead and many of the characters in this have the same level of depth as they do. I feel that the zombie aspect is very good lending to a very entertaining fight for survival. I like the characters for the most part as they make a good team and the action is very fast paced. The colors are nice and the animation is great. The music is well picked I love the opening theme and the rotate the end themes pretty rapidly making for some fun variety for the J-Pop lover.

This story has some major detractors to it. I like fan service as much as the next guy and for a horror type I can enjoy the occasional Panty Shot. This unfortunately goes waaaay past that taking at time whole episodes with the women playing around naked or near naked and utilizing every opportunity to show off the female character's bodies with bouncy breasts and over inundating ourselves with panty shot afater shot. This takes away from the tone of the series making it confusing at times weather this is a ecchi comedy series or a horror series. I feel that this took away from the series majorly as will be reflected in my rating. I will tell you if it had gone along without this detractor my rating would be an 8 if that will give any indication.

This series is a fun series for horror lovers that love to have their sexy girly soft porn included.

Rating:  5/10

The editions I have are the blu ray ones and I will include both pictures for you with the series on the top and the OVA on the bottom

Used:     $38.97     Amazon Marketplace
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B004SGWYVA/used)
New:     $38.96     Amazon.com
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004SGWYVA/dealoz_us_movie-20/ref=nosim)
Used:    $10.87    Amazon Marketplace
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B00E688XI8/used)
New:     $7.49     Rightstuf.com
(http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/5nDY45Y6I0nYcnNdUv/browse/item/98890/4/0/0)

DVD Movie Review #79 The Andy Griffith Show Season Six

Sorry couldn't find season 6 trailer

Well we are back again with another wonderful DVD movie review. As I work my way slowly through the Andy Griffith show I keep stumbling on revelations that i never had though of before. I think that my view of the series had been very different up until now and I'm sure it will change again before the end as I am staggering through season seven of the series.

This is the first season of the series done entirely in color. We have a few new characters introduced and some old ones that leave us. We have some continued work on the romance between Andy and Miss Krump and a story line that takes Andy Aunt Bee and Ope to Hollywood. We say farewell to Barney who only makes three appearances this season as he has moved on else where. We get to see more limited appearances from Otis and a new Deputy for Andy to replace Barney. We also finally get to see the end of our favorite English Butler and the zany Earnest T. Bass.

I don't fully understand how people can consider this far and above a worse season than five. The color adds a novel aspect to the series letting us see the little town in a new depth. The episodes where Barney returns are very well written earning the series some Emmies. I also did enjoy the Hollywood arc i was short and not as enjoyable as the I love Lucy Hollywood arc yet It felt good watching them go into a different setting. The humor remains the same and the stories do retain some good lessons.

This is the only season with this character he didn't make the cut

This season does have some down points. I really don't care as much for the new deputy character as he was trying a bit too hard to replace Barney. I also really miss the characters of Barney and Otis feeling that they added more to the series and their reduced appearances do bother me a bit. In the end the show does still have some dated ethics to it as well having one episode showing how women need to let men be better than they are in order to placate their egos (that story wouldn't fly today).

In the end this season is a downgrade but still worth watching so my journey into the series continues along.

Rating:  5/10

I have the set with all the series to it so this is how I am pricing it.

Used:     $65.27    Amazon Marketplace
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B000NA21YA/used)
New:     $70.40    Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Andy-Griffith-Show-The-Complete-Series-DVD-2007-40-Disc-Set/55569576&cpid=1376796756)

DVD Movie Review #75 X-Files Season 1

Hello and welcome to this edition of my DVD Movie Review. This time I am starting with a classic series the X-Files. This time we go to Season 1 of the show. I have only had experience with this show in piece meal being first exposed to this by a friend in College from Eastern Europe who loved the show and would gather us around each night to watch it. This was around 2001 when the show was already in full swing. A friend of mine gifted me this set in later 2013 and I've been very happy to finally start watching this with my girlfriend one episode at a time.

This is the story of Agent Mulder and Scully FBI agents with one agenda. To get behind all the mysterious unsolved cases that are known as X-Files. Mulder is the adventurous mind who is out to work on jumping to the wildest conclusion possible and is somehow usually right. Scully is the science oriented hard case bent on not believing in the paranormal or extraterrestrial even if it is in front of her own eyes. See them go and avoid dangers of evil government cover ups.

This season is the big kick off with imaginative stories scary characters and mysterious events. The stories are well crafted so you are usually drawn in every time. The characters are well defined including some of the villains like a recurring character Toombs. The twists and turns are well thought out and the ending will surprise you.

I very much understand to work on the current standards of special effects yet these were sadly lacking. The music is effective but it is sadly quite simple. I was disappointed with some of the recurrences like Scully's continued ignorance no matter what she sees it gets a tad repetitive and annoying. They repeated the same plot line three times in this season which I have even heard frustrated the actors. These though don't fully detract as the positives outweigh the negatives.

In the end I give season one of this series a fairly good rating for creativity.

Rating:   7/10

I have a pretty plain DVD case version of this series but still beggars can't be choosers when you get a series for free. This came in a pack with all the seasons and the movies so I am working off of that.

Used:   $111.49  Amazon Marketplace
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B00CRVL5ZE/used)
New:   $138.92 Amazon Marketplace
(http://www.dealoz.com/url.pl?cat_id=12&data_id=30488493&ean=0024543886075&op=buy&store_cur=usd&feed_id=166&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Fredirect%3Ftag%3Ddealoz_mkt_us_movie_UTM_-20%26path%3Dtg%2Fstores%2Foffering%2Flist%2F-%2FB00CRVL5ZE%2Fnew&position=3&sort=featured&result_count=5&store_count=4&price_avg=160.3528574&price_low=107.50&price_hi=198.91&price_return=134.93&buy_back_price=)

DVD Movie Review #78 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Hello again and I am back to bring you another grand adventure into my DVD collection. This adventure is the Blu Ray for "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh". I have loved this show as a child and one day hope that I hope to show this to my children. I also hope to one day get the live action show that I loved as a child.

This chronicles the Disney Animated Feature "the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" This includes wonderful stories such as Pooh's attempt at being a rain cloud to take honey from they bees or The Massive Rain storm that flooded the hundred acre wood. This features some of the prominent songs such as the hephelump and woozle song. If you ever ride the winnie the pooh ride at Disney Land you will notice that everything is there. There are also a number of newly crafted mini adventures that are nicely entertaining.

I am brought back to being a child again much as I was when I started watching the newer movie. This of course in my opinion was the better crafted of the two. I always considered these adventures classics. The restoration on this is very very good and looks every bit as colorful as the newer film. The animation is what one would expect from a Disney film of that time though maybe a slight bit rough around the edges. As an adult I can still see the contemporary value of this project and the ready enjoyment of the songs and simple plot lines that bring us back to the days of our youth.

This is of course made for children. If you did not grow up on this as I had you may not be able to get in on this as I have done through the nostalgia window. You also have to have that side of you that sill manages to enjoy childish things once in a while.

This was the ride at Disneyland that inspired me wanting to watch this again

In the end this is a classic well worth revisiting.

Rating:  8/10

I have the new Blu-Ray DVD combo pack release of this film and recommend it as the restoration is amazing in this.

Used:    $14.00  Ebay
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/221350042102?lpid=82&item=221350042102)
New:     $20.21  Ebay
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/380770330903?lpid=82&item=380770330903)

DVD Movie Review #77 Hellraiser IV

Hello and we are back with another in the line of up movie reviews. Today we review the movie Hellraiser IV. This movie came in a large $5 movie pack with all the Prophecy Movies and all the Hellraiser movies other than the first two which I found a marvelous deal.

This point in the series takes place in the year 2127 where a man who is descended of the individual who made the original puzzle box that summoned the evil demons in the first place. He hopes to utilize his new contraption to not only trap but to destroy the demons once and for all.

This movie is an odd setting but taking place in a time where most horror types wanted to try their hand at being in space and in the future. You know how to have robots and stuff deal with the evil critters that we had to work with in the late 80s and early 90s. This movie had introduced computer animated effects to the mix and this became quite different and interesting. I also enjoyed having the origin of the puzzle box explained to me in the movie.

Well lets just say that even though computer animated effects are in the movie they weren't that good. The acting really wasn't that wonderful and the makeup though not bad really didn't hold par with the other movies in the series. Of course the last bit of this is that we could have explained the origin of the puzzle box without having to go to space with a strange plot to do so.

In the end this is a strange but interesting twist into the series.

Rating:  6/10

Again as in the above this is the 11 movie pack I had gotten at walmart the big issue is it is a stacker so I wonder about the long health of the discs.

Used:     $3.82    Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Prophecy-Hellraiser-Miramax-Complete-Collection-DVD-2012-4-Disc-Set/113177643&cpid=5000002080049)
New:     $6.97    Walmart
(http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Prophecy-Hellraiser-Complete-Miramax-Collection-11-Films/19897334?wmlspartner=XWtbxYmhL3E&sourceid=07645197711993801550&oid=40579.19897334&affillinktype=2&veh=aff)

DVD Movie Review #76 The Killing

Hello Again we are back again with another of my wonderful DVD Movie reviews. This time I am looking through Kubriks the Killing. This film is criterion and an essential so during Barnes & Nobles sale and this one appeared to be scratched on arrival so I had to prioritize it.

This movie follows a bunch of individuals who have slight mob connections when it comes to the booking end of the race track. They decide that it would be best to rob the track in order to strike it rich. They plan the job but little do they know many factors appear to be lined up against them.

This movie was well crafted as you would expect from the director. The plot line is every bit the typical heist movies that we have learned to grow to love. The characters are well crafted and acted and the makeup is well done for the plot. The movie will have you on the edge of your seat with crafting that any crime thriller can be.

This thriller is very very dark and may not be for everyone. The acting is in line with most movies from the time period. I feel that many of the characters are not that different from the other movies of that time. I don't know why but the swooning females of that time do annoy me at times. Otherwise though I can't really knock this well crafted piece of film quality.

Rating:  8/10

I have the criterion Blu Ray of this film.

Used:    $22.99   Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Killing-Blu-ray-Disc-2011-Criterion-Collection/102770380&cpid=1422407546)
New:   $23.53    Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Killing-Blu-ray-Disc-2011-Criterion-Collection/102770380&cpid=1422407546)

Well I am planning from this point out to start putting up film trailers at the end so don't run out just yet?

DVD Movie Review #74 Priest

Hello yet again I am back with another of my fine DVD movie reviews. Please be sure to share this with your friends if you like it. This is a movie that I've been interested in in a while and finally got it during a Black Friday Sale quite cheap.

This movie takes place in a rather bleak future were vampires and humans were at arms against one another fighting for hundreds of years. Oddly enough the humans managed to develop super humans called Priests who were able to turn the tide. Of course the Church didn't want them to keep that power after the war and banished them into obscurity. Now after many years the vampires are resurfacing again and the church is unwilling to admit to it.  Now it is up to a rogue preist to seek out and take out the evil vampires once again.

This movie is quite creative. I really enjoyed this particular film's effects making it look every part of a dark future. The plot crafting showed some creativity in the scope of the future and the unusual crafting of the vampires their familiars and the other aspects. This also has every bit of the action that should satisfy most of the sci-fi action nuts out there.

Well the movie could really benefit from acting. I really Like Paul Betany but the acting he showed in this reminded me of Keanu Reeves. This particular film really didn't show much in an overall interesting plot. The characters are not terribly likable and one has to wonder if they tried to cobble this together to supplement the Legion movie release which had better plot but was much more boring.

In the end this is a harmless action ride but don't expect anything special.

Rating:  6/10

This is the plane blu ray copy of the movie.

Used:     $5.99    Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/Priest-Blu-ray-Disc-2011/102946882&cpid=1422561854)
New:     $8.34   Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/Priest-Blu-ray-Disc-2011/102946882&cpid=1422561854)