Since there were so few significant Blu-Ray and DVD releases last week, I decided to fold them into this week for a more substantial entry. Also, apropos of nothing, the Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut DLC got released to day and I’ve seen the new endings. My verdict: pretty good. They clarify things a lot better if nothing else. Anyway…
Wrath of the Titans- Sam Worthington is back as Perseus in the sequel to the remake of the Ray Harryhausen classic that really just wants to be God of War: The Movie. The first one didn’t really impress me all that much. So I gave this a pass in the theaters. So I really don’t know if it was an improvement, let alone any good.
Deliverance- First time on Blu-Ray. Like Jaws did for swimming in the ocean, Deliverance effectively did for canoeing/hiking/camping in West Virginia. Get out those dueling banjos and squeal like a pig! "REEEEEEEEEE!!!"
Mirror, Mirror- One of the two dueling Snow White pictures that came out this year. Is it me, or did this one seem to come out really quick? This one was directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell, Immortals) and gives it the Bollywood treatment. For my money, I prefer Snow White & The Huntsman.
Project X- There’s two movies called Project X out on Blu-Ray right now. There’s the recent one about the wild party, but that’s not the one I’m talking about. This Project X is a movie made in 1968 that was produced by William Castle. It’s a sort of a Sci-Fi spy movie about an American agent retrieved from deep cover in China, and his memories have to be retrieved, as they contain knowledge of a bioweapon that China plans to deploy against the U.S. One of the things that makes it notable is its depiction of the future, which was accomplished by animated sequences done by Hanna-Barbera.
The Colossus of New York- This little 1950’s Sci-Fi gem was recently released on Blu-Ray. After a scientist is killed in a car crash on the eve of receiving the Nobel Prize, his distraught father - an accomplished brain surgeon - transfers his brain into the body of an 8 foot tall robot. But while he continues to live on in his new body, he begins to increasingly lose his humanity, to the point where he becomes a danger.
Space Children- Another 1950s Sci-Fi flick being released on Blu-Ray for the first time. An alien intelligence lands near a space research facility, and exerts its influence on the personnel’s children with the goal of sabotaging its rocket launch. Was featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Ator, The Fighting Eagle- Purely if your into bargain basement barbarian flicks (there’s a tongue twister!) This one stars Miles O’Keefe (Tarzan: The Ape Man) as the titular character. Again, this one was spoofed on MST3K under the title, [I]Cave Dwellers.
[/I]Lupin the 3rd: The Complete First Series- This is the classic Anime series of the master thief, with episodes directed by Hayao Miyazaki that culminated in The Castle of Cagliostro. I think it’s been seen before on Cartoon Network, but this is the fist time it’s been officially released on DVD.