Author: UncaScroogeMcD

OCEAN ISLE – The future is here for cinephiles- finally. I haven’t been a major fan of the digital conversion of movie theaters since you’re just paying to watch a big TV. Unlike HBO, you pay to see the same ads that run on TBS except at a size too big to ignore. The digital projection revolution hasn’t been that impressive.

Mostly the DLP transition seemed a great way to kill 35mm film. What major studio doesn’t see the bright side of not paying $3,000 to strike 35mm prints of their latest blockbuster? That’s a $12 million savings for a movie opening on 4,000 screens. The studios aren’t passing the savings onto you in the ticket prices. Easily impressed people are amazed that digital projection has allowed “live” shows and sporting events in the theaters. They’re overjoyed at Oprah, Ira Glass, Glenn Beck and Michael J. Nelson during one night only events. But that isn’t a new of a concept. Back in the Sixties they had Closed Circuit events run in movie theaters including a Beatles concert and heavyweight boxing title fights. Basically you’re just part of a pay-per-view that makes all the guests in the room chip into the kitty without the “but I brought the Dean’s Dip” cheapskate making you eat his share. The digital revolution wasn’t that futuristic and exciting. Then I received a Facebook invitation to see Iron Sky for a one time screening at a nearby theater. The future finally went wow.

Why was this screening of Iron Sky more “cinema of the future” than the upcoming Riff Trax Live Birdemic on October 25? Because the viewers had to make Iron Sky happen. Riff Trax has already been scheduled to screen in over a hundred theaters across the USA. Iron Sky wasn’t going to run on a Thursday night in my neighborhood unless enough people bought advance tickets. What made this Iron Sky revolutionary was the simple fact that a curious viewer can set up a screening of the greatest film ever made about Nazis on the dark side of the Moon attacking President Sarah Palin.

How is this possible? How can a simple movie fan book a movie and rent a movie theater without an intimate knowledge of theatrical exhibition or several hundred dollars in advance? The folks at Tugg.com has simplified the process. They have a catalog of over 600 films varying from small documentaries to older blockbusters in their catalog. They also have deals with theaters capable of receiving the digital copy of the film. According to Tugg’s instructions, all you need to do is pick the film, select the nearest theater to you and schedule a date. My local screening of Iron Sky took place on a Thursday night. This is a slow night for ticket sales so the theater manager doesn’t mind a crowd showing up. Even with 15 screens, nearly all of the cars in the parking lot belonged to folks eager the special screening. This is easily a boon for theater owners wanted a reason to pour golden flavoring on the popcorn.

The hard work comes immediately after you set up the screening. You need to find enough people in your area not merely curious about seeing the movie, but ready to buy their ticket in advance. Can you locate 50 or more kindred cinema souls by working your Facebook and Twitter connections. You can always beg a writer at your local Examiner to give the screening a plug. You’ll learn to network on message boards. The good part is that Tugg provides a page for your screening that includes a countdown clock and total board of how many tickets still need to be sold to lock down the screening. This means that others who want to see the film will pester their friends to make the movie happen. A pal made his own Facebook event page to wrangle up more people including me. After I found out about Iron Sky, I pestered other people to get tickets. I wanted to see the Nazis on the moon invade.

As the promoter of a screening, there’s a chance to make a little profit on a screening if a huge crowd arrives. But the big picture for a fan of cinema isn’t making a few bucks. The true passion is to not lose your shirt. If the screening fails for lack of pre-sold tickets, you’re not stuck with a fat bill from the film’s distributor and the theater’s owner. Nothing can be more horrifying than an empty theater as your four-walled movie plays on the big screen. Back in the days of 35mm, you’d be on the hook for the cost of the projectionist inspecting, building and undoing the print besides turning on the projector. Their rate resembled the mechanic rebuilding your thingamagicator. Plus you’d be on the hook for UPS overnighting the print back to the distributor. You ever price overnighting 60 pounds via UPS? A failed four-wall event could cost you four figures. It’s easier to deal with dejection when your bank account doesn’t take a hard hit. If the screening is canceled, nobody gets charged for their tickets so your friends won’t think you’ve scammed them. This is what makes Tugg.com really revolutionary in the world of film exhibition. It’s win-win even in a losing situation.

If you have dreams of starting your own film society or being the next Sid Grauman, Tugg.com seems to be the best way to test the waters of exhibition. Is there truly enough of an audience eager to see titles that have more internet buzz than promotional dollars? Do you have the social skills to unite a crowd for one big screening every so often? Can you create a sense of cinematic community in your area? The good part of Tugg is the audience feels a part of the process since they didn’t merely buy a ticket. They contribute to bringing the film to the theater. Nobody is a passive consumer in this process.

Was it worth it to see Iron Sky on the big screen with a crowd? Oh yes. The film delivers on the premise of Nazis on the Moon attacking the Earth. This isn’t a lame SyFy original filmed in an alley between warehouses. The film smartly casts Udo Kier (Story of O) as the top Nazi. The film is full of hot women, pounding action, big explosions and just a touch of romance in an absurd concept. The comedy pours off the screen including Christopher Kirby as an astronaut shot into space for Sarah Palin’s “Black to Moon” re-election gimmick. They also pay tribute to the Hitler meme. You can wait for the Blu-ray and watch it at home, but the movie cries out for an audience to join you in laughs and gasps.

I’m really thankful that Tugg.com and the digital cinema revolution have made it possible for a one night screening of films without consequences. No longer do you have to beg your local theater owner to book a title. Now you can make it happen if you have the skills and the right kind of friends.

YOU’RE NOT THAT COOL OF PARENTS

Often I joke about taking my three year old daughter to see Cinema Overdrive screenings at the Colony Theater. Who doesn’t want to treat their preschooler to Silent Night, Deadly Night? But I’d rather wait till she’s a little older so such an experience can scar her for life like when my folks took me at age six to see Come Back, Charleston Blue. The movie poster made the film seem more like a slapstick comedy instead of a slight comedy dominated by the ghost of a heroin dealing pimp razorblading people in Harlem.

I didn’t take the kid to see Iron Sky. She likes Hogan’s Heroes. But I figured the Sarah Palin depiction might be too scary. Entering the theater, I was surprised to see a young geeky couple had brought their little ones. The two kids appeared to be under six or so. They seemed to want to be the cool parents which is cool by me.

After an hour of Nazi violence including people getting shot, tortured and injected with needles, there was a clothed heavy foreplay scene. The couple grabbed their kids and rushed them out of the theater. After the romance was over, they brought the kids back to their seats just in time to watch a guy get shot in the face.

I don’t have an issue with parents bringing their kids to an R-rated film. But how can a parent view a scene of passion as too much for their little eyes, but a bullet between the eyes is fully acceptable? When you bring a kid to an R-rated film, you’re all in or you’re all out. Otherwise you need to spring for a sitter. If you’re going to be the cool parent, you can’t give them the idea that passion is more dangerous than violence. It’s a bad message to scar them with bullets while shielding them from open mouth kisses. You’ve lost your cool parents status – mysterious couple with kids.

I won’t be taking my daughter to see the upcoming Cinema Overdrive screening of David Cronenberg’s The Brood (Sept 12 at the Colony Theater in Raleigh) since she ought to see Scanners first.

NOT READY FOR FOOTBALL

Why is the NFL Network pushing its schedule with a Brooklyn Douchebag? What part of overgrown manchild with scraggly beard wearing a “vintage” three piece suit screams football? Cause seems like that type of guy would be more hot to see some futbol. Wouldn’t this guy spend his Sunday afternoons writing to HBO for the return of Bored to Death and pricing tiny hats?

ROGER CORMAN CORNER

As the Roger Corman’s Cult Classics series comes to an end, a few of the lesser titles are being offered directly from Shout! Factory’s website. These are not Manufacture on Demand DVDs.
Roger Corman’s Cult Classics: Naked Angels is a classic biker flick that used to scare grandma when they played at the drive-in. The Angels are furious that the Las Vegas Hotdoggers put their leader in the hospital. This must hurt even more that Mother (Michael Green) was beaten senseless by a gang with such a weak name as the Hotdoggers. At least it wasn’t the Reno Ball Hogs. Mother has to prove he’s really back in the gang so he can take back leadership and his old lady (Jennifer Gan). Mother’s a bit of a hothead. The big fear is that the gang will implode before they make it to Las Vegas to rumble with the Hotdoggers. This was the first of several biker movies with Angel in the title that Corman produced and later put out through New World.

Roger Corman’s Cult Classics: Sweet Kill was also released as The Arousers. This was Curtis Hanson’s first film before he’d move up the food chain with L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys. This film is completely twisted. Former teen heartthrob Tab Hunter (Damn Yankees) plays a man with sexual issues. Instead of getting the little blue pill, Hunter discovers a more drastic solution. He accidentally kills a woman and get hard. This leads to him tempting women into his bedroom so he can murder them and get laid. It’s like Curtis Hanson missed his true calling of being John Waters’ rival. Oddly enough Tab Hunter would go on to star in John Waters’ Polyester. Tab Hunter understood how to play off is image in messed up cinema. They should remake this film with Justin Timberlake.

You can order both films from http://www.shoutfactorystore.com.

POWER RANGERS THEN AND NOW

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season 1, Vol. 1 brings back the joy of geeking out in 1993. When the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers landed on Fox Kids, a semi-Japanese action show wasn’t that alien of a concept. In the mid-70s, the geek kids embraced afternoon screenings of Japan’s Ultraman and Space Giants. Kids eagerly awaited Godzilla and Gamera weeks on their UHF stations. Superheroes fighting rubber suit monsters was a beloved art form. MMPR did a little bit more of a twist to the show than merely dubbing. Saban took rubber suited monster footage and fights from Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger and shot new parts using American teens. This hybrid series worked well enough for the kids who quickly gobbled up anything Power Rangers oriented. Season 1, Vol. 1 contains the first 30 episodes. Rita Repulsa gets released from her moon prison when clueless astronauts open the lid. She’s ready to attack the earth with her monster creations. Her rival Zordon must come to Earth to choose 5 kids that can transform into the Power Rangers. They are each given a different color and a dinosaur attack ship (although a saber-toothed tuger isn’t a dinosaur). Halfway through this collection, a sixth kid gets to become the Green Power Ranger in “Green with Evil.” Contrary to the hype, the real stars of the show are Bulk (Paul Schrier) and Skull (Jason Narvy). They are the normal goofballs whose only super power is to transform into comic relief before the plot got too serious. They were adorable in their hijinks as they stalked the Youth Center and Juice Bar. They knew the Pink (Amy Jo Johnson) and Yellow (Thuy Trang) needed to hook up with them. They were the real saviors of Angel Grove.

Power Rangers Super Samurai: The Super Powered Black Box Volume 1 and Power Rangers Super Samurai: Super Showdown Volume 2 features 8 episodes of the newest incarnation of the Power Rangers. Power Rangers Super Samurai currently airs on Nickelodeon. Volume 1 opens with “Super Samurai.” The Rangers are still battling Master Xandred and the Nighlok monsters from Power Rangers Samurai. What makes them Super Samurai? Antonio and Mentor Ji unlock the black box which gives them Super Mode. They look even more colorful than the previous series when they go into battle. There’s an amazing warmth to the show thanks to its New Zealand location. Each volume has four episodes of major battles. What matters most is that Bulk is back! Paul Schrier now has to mentor Skull as they hone their non-existent Power Ranger skills. Bulk is the world’s oldest teenager now that Dick Clark is dead. Amazing to think that nearly 20 years after the original show debuted, the Power Rangers are still saving the world from rubber suited monsters.

DVD SHELF

Stallone 3-Film Collector’s Set brings together Sylvester Stallone’s biggest action character, his dramatic comeback and an obscure title. Rambo: First Blood was a bit of a sleeper hit in 1982. Sly played the frustrated Vietnam vet John Rambo. He’s roaming America in search of meaning and direction in his life. The small town he enters doesn’t like his kind and they’re not afraid to show it. They messed with the wrong long haired stranger as he destroys their little town, the National Guard and the United Nations. Their only hope is if his only army mentor Richard Crenna can calm him down. Who can really stop a tornado pushed too far? His return as the character in Rambo: First Blood Part II was a pure badass move. But for this film, he’s rather peaceful until pushed to the edge. There’s a commentary from Stallone and deleted scenes.

I have no memory of Lock Up being released in 1989. Maybe it just blurred with Tango & Cash. The prison flick sticks Stallone behind bars while warden Donald Sutherland (Hunger Games) tries to break his will to live. Danny Trejo is an inmate. Is Danny Trejo really 68 years old? The big bonus is a vintage behind the scenes featurette. Copland made him a bit more unassuming. He’s the sheriff of a small New Jersey town filled with NYPD cops. He has a quiet job with the streets filled with LEO. All is good until an NYPD scandal seeps across the river. Can Stallone stand up to the dozens of badges that he idolizes? This is the director’s cut. Stallone proved that like his roles in Rocky and First Blood that he can touch the soul of a character when given the right direction and not merely play a cartoony tough guy. He can be a thespian and not just a pumped up star. Two out of the three films here justify why Stallone can’t be written off as just an action superstar. The collection comes in both Blu-ray and DVD.

Astonishing X-Men: Torn is the Marvel Knights animation adaptation of the third story arc written by Joss Whedon (The Avengers) and drawn by John Cassady. It picks up where Dangerous left off with Emma Frost unsure if she wants to remain with the X-Men. She’s getting a serious offer to be a part of the new Hellfire Club. She sees too much weakness amongst the X-Men including her failed relationship with Cyclops. He’s too insecure to be her lover. Is she using her telepath powers to make Kitty Pride imagine that Professor X took away her baby. What is she really looking for? To complicate things even more, there’s an issue with aliens in Breakworld. What makes the Marvel Knights titles work is that they animate Cassady’s original art and base the script directly on Whedon’s dialogue balloons. It’s like reading the comic book without worrying about smudging the pages.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Final Season wraps up the 10th season of the Saturday morning cartoon version of the show. In a world where the average Saturday morning series lasted one year, TMNT went on for a decade. These are the final 8 episodes that aired in the summer of 1996. Order up some pizza to munch while devouring in the final adventures of the Heroes in a half shell. The main focus of the battles is against Lord Dregg and his creepy buddies. Can Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael survive the end? Oscar winner Fred Wolf did a fine job of bringing these cult legends to animated life. Do prefer this version of TMNTs to the CGI adaptation. The episodes include the original CBS Saturday morning introduction.

Adventures of Tintin : Season Three wraps up the animated adaptation of the classic European comic strip adventure. The animated series from early ’90s used Herge’s original comic strip panels to inspire the action. I prefer the cartoons to the CGI grafted plot films from Peter Jackson and Spielberg that overplay the action to make it more cinematic. Seven books are included in this final season. “The Red Sea Sharks” uncovers human smuggling while rebels want to kill the local Emir. “The Seven Crystal Balls” murders members of an expedition. Each body comes with a smashed crystal ball. “Prisoners of the Sun” continues the action in Peru. The truth about the smashed crystal balls is explained. “The Castafiore Emerald” brings back the annoying opera singer. Is Captain Haddock really going to marry her? “Destination Moon” and “Explorers on the Moon” sends Tintin upward. Snowy the dog gets to bar on the lunar surface. “Tintin in America” has the pesky reporter battle Al Capone. The original comic was published in 1932 when Al Capone might not have been happy at being depicted in a comic book. “The three comic books not animated were Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Tintin in the Congo and Tintin and Alph-Art. The first two because they were a rather two offensive and Alpha-Art was unfinished. The Adventures of Tintin is a fine edition to your animation collection.

Perry Mason Season 7, Volume 1 shocked TV viewers in 1963 with the most unthinkable of outcomes: Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) finally lost a case to Hamilton Burger (William Talman). “The Case of the Deadly Verdict” pops Mason’s six seasons of making Burger his whipping boy. How could this have happened? Mason can’t rest with this black mark on his record. He must find the real killer and spring his client from death row. He’s not scoffing this off as “that’s the way the cookie crumbles.” He needs a rematch to prove his legal manhood. “The Case of the Nebulous Nephew” scams two elderly people by their young relative in a scheme involving Ivan Dixon (Hogan’s Heroes). “The Case of the Shifty Shoebox” exposes a killer when Billy Mumy (Lost In Space) opens the lid to the murder weapon. “The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito” disguises Perry as an old prospector. Can he fool Strother Martin (The Wild Bunch)? “The Case of the Decadent Dean” blows the lid off a shady prep school. “The Case of the Reluctant Model” points the finger at a fake Gauguin painting and a dead art dealer in the shower. “The Case of the Floating Stones” features James Hong (Kung Fu Panda). “The Case of the Bouncing Boomerang” places Alan Hale Jr. (The Skipper on Gilligan’s Island) in the middle of property scam. “The Case of the Accosted Accountant” busts Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman on The Six Million Dollar Man) for murdering his father-in-law. He was promising to expose the old man for bad business activities. The 15 cases here are fine, but it’s hard not to overcome the shock of Perry Mason getting nailed with a Guilty verdict. Only McKayla Maroney can relate to Mason’s butt plant. Volume 2 comes out on Oct. 23.

The Streets of San Francisco Season 4 Volume 1 & 2 brings to an end to the time Inspector Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) spent with Lt. Mike Stone (Karl Malden). Why? Because right after the season ended, Michael Douglas won the Best Picture Oscar for producing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. How can he track down killers when he had to juggle studio meetings? But at least he gave one final season to roaming around Fisherman’s Wharf with Malden. “Poisoned Snow” turns ugly quick when a female undercover agent gets shot to death when a deal goes bad. Her partner (Clu Gulager) wants revenge on the dealer. What he doesn’t know is his son’s got problems. The troubled teen is none other than Mark Hamill pre-Star Wars. “No Place to Hide” forces the wives of prisoners to deal drugs on the outside. There are nasty consequences to the wives if they say no. Charles Napier (Squidbillies) gets drawn into the scheme. “Men Will Die” targets Michael Parks (Kill Bill) for death by an aggressive anti-rape organization. “School of Fear” has a teacher snap against violent students. He takes them hostage. One of the students Is future Sweathog Robert Hegyes. “Murder By Proxy” has the triple threat of Sorrell Brooke (Dukes of Hazzard), John Ritter (Three’s Company) and Gordon Jump (WKRP). A land developer might be depreciating the neighborhood to buy up houses on the cheap by paying for criminals to visit after dark. “Dead Air” hints that Larry Hagman is a talk radio host able to kill female listeners. He did kill a liver. Volume 2 starts with “Spooks For Sale.” Tom Selleck (Magnum P.I.) might have killed a night watchman. “Police Buff” presents Bill Bixby (The Incredible Hulk) as a cop wannabe who loves to listen to the police scanner. He answers a call and brings the law on his own tail. “The Honorable Profession” makes Robert Reed (The Brady Bunch) a fake doctor and a real witness to a robbery. The finale for Douglas is “Alien Country.” A. Martinez gets a job in the city and shortly thereafter becomes a suspect in the death of an immigration officer. The show would go on for a final season with the arrival of Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica) as the new rookie learning from Mike. Douglas would return as a San Francisco cop in Basic Instinct. You can get both volumes bundled together for a lower price. Season Five arrives on Oct. 30 to wrap up the show.

You’ve Got A Friend brings the charm of John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard) to the slower wheeled action of Soap Box Derby cars. Dylan McLaughlin is recently orphaned and moves in with is uncle and aunt up in New Mexico. He focuses his talent on creating a great soap box car, but he needs help. He finds it in the reclusive Schneider. The two bond while woodworking and pushing the speed of wood. His uncle doesn’t like Schneider so there’s the resistance. It’s a nice and inspirational tale for anyone making a car for this year’s Kerwood Derby. It’s good to see Schneider working with a kid that isn’t going to become Superman.

NEW YORK CITY – The death of Sherman Hemsley was a bit of a shock. He was only 74. That means he was barely over 30 when he took the role of George Jefferson on All In the Family. He seemed like he was in his 50s then. Strange how Tom Cruise is 51, but can’t play the maturity Sherman displayed even when he acted childish for comic effect.

Even stranger were reports Sherman was a serious fan of Prog Rock. Could this be true that George Jefferson was hooked on the great English bands that dominated the early ’70s? Was he roaming the aisles of Tower Records asking for Japanese vinyl imports of Yes, King Crimson and Emerson Lake and Palmer? There’s a bizarre tale of a member of Gong describing his time with Sherman as an unwritten Hunter S. Thompson novel. Wikipedia claims that Sherman had collaborated on a record with Jon Anderson of Yes. We all know that you can’t publish fiction on Wikipedia…unless you’re running for a public office.

Could this just be one of those internet myths such as Bea Arthur’s time as a sniper in the French Foreign Legion or The Phantom Menace being better than Star Wars? Instead of being lazy like salaried internet bloggers and merely pondering the validity of the claims, I went straight to the source. I wrote Jon Anderson an email asking if he really knew Sherman and if they recorded an album.

The very next morning there was a response in my inbox from Jon Anderson. It read:

We talked we laughed, we talk we sang, we laughed….and so it goes…he was fun to be around.. but we never got any further than that…what a guy…what a face!!!…….Jon Anderson

That confirms that Sherman Hemsley and Jon Anderson were pals although it sounds like they never actually went into the studio and recorded an album. What’s amazing is Jon’s tribute sounds like a lost verse from And You and I. Somebody get Rick Wakeman to score those words.

It’s always pleasing to discover someone you’ve always considered cool was even cooler. Now when I think of Sherman Hemsley, he’ll be bobbing his head, plucking an air bass and dancing his feet to Yes’ “Starship Trooper.” This is for Sherman as he moves on up:

Jon Anderson’s no longer touring with Yes. He’s still on the road doing an acoustic tour of his music including Yes tunes. He’ll be in Uruguay and Brazil in September. He and Rick Wakeman released their The Living Tree in Concert Part One last year. Jon’s vocals were sampled on Kayne West’s “Dark Fantasy.” If you see Jon, make sure you ask him about Sherman.

I’m still waiting to hear back from King Crimson’s Robert Fripp about his memories of Sherman.
TELL ME ABOUT THOSE SHADES OF GREY

This year’s weird sensation is 50 Shades of Grey. How did a book about the BDSM relationship between a not that old guy and his barely out of college submissive become a best seller like The Dungeons of Madison County? Got me. If I wanted to read about such stuff, I’d hire a stenographer for my bedroom.

There’s something creepy about seeing grandmas read the book in the open. Does this mean this year instead of a tie, you need to get grandpa a ball gag? Are kids in woodshops holding the boards so dad can sand down the St. Andrew’s cross mom wanted after finishing the book? How kinky will America really get? Will bondage clubs be overwhelmed with the smell of Aqua Velva and Chanel No 5 on the weekends? Can you get a leather mask in plaid? Will bondage be this season’s robot wars? Enough time making you cringe. Let’s get on to our guest.

The Party Favors had a chance to ask Becca Battoe about her narration on the 50 Shades of Grey Audiobook via the kind folks at Gawker. Back when I worked at a bookstore, we used to stock the audiotape of Anne Rice’s Beauty BDSM novels. None of us were prepared to hear these erotic tales being read by Elizabeth Montgomery. You haven’t experienced a flogging until the star of Bewitched brings it to life.

So my only question to Becca Battoe was: Have you listened to how Elizabeth Montgomery read Anne Rice’s erotic novels to get a sense of tone?

Becca Battoe: I have to admit, erotic novels have never been my cup of tea… Not that I don’t think I would like them, or that they aren’t great novels (I am certain they are). It’s just not a genre I have really been introduced to before now. For this particular book, I didn’t have the prep days to do more research than just getting myself familiar with the story and the characters. I had to just go with my gut, and work as hard as I could to tell the story the best I could.

AV GEEKS PROJECT NEEDS YOU

Skip and the gang of the AV Geeks need your help to preserve, distribute and promote our nation’s 16mm educational film legacy. They want to transfer 100 miles of 16mm and put it online for you to share with your kids or watch while you’re toasted. Those who give will receive cooler premiums than your local NPR station are passing out. Here’s the website for all the info on this worthwhile project:

http://www.indiegogo.com/avgeeks100miles

BLU-RAY HEAVEN

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season One isn’t the same show you caught back in the fall of 1987. The original version saved on expenses by doing all of its post-production in video so it was stuck on standard definition tape instead of a 35mm film master. This is why it always looked a little fuzzy on TV. Now that HDTV is the broadcast normal, a wise executive didn’t want a series of the future to be stuck in the past. So they’ve gone back to the original 35mm film shot of actors and created new special effects in 1080p. Even if you’ve watched the show hundreds of time on TV, VHS and DVD, you’re watching it for the first time once more when the Blu-ray plays. The 25 episodes bring out the details of the rebuilt U.S.S. Enterprise. You’ll be able to figure out the stitching on Counselor Troi’s uniform. Fans at the time were rather nervous about having Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the regulars replaced like a bunch of security guys in red uniforms. The originals were still doing well in the movie theaters. Why mess with a working formula? Little did we know Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was approaching. Could the new cast compare with the originals or would they be retreads? Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) was not Kirk. This was obvious in that Picard didn’t wear a toupee around the galaxy. First Officer Riker (Jonathan Frakes) was more a stud than Mr. Spock. There was a Spock like character in Data (Brent Spiner), but he was all android and didn’t have to deal with a human side just understanding humanity in general. The big addition to the bridge was the Klingon Worf (Michael Dorn). Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) was the pesky smart kid. Geordi La Forge (Roots‘ LeVar Burton) became the quick icon with his vision assisting glasses that looked like a car’s air filter on his face. The first season of ST:TNG featured the imprint of Gene Roddenberry. The episodes are fine for such a monumental task of creating a whole new universe within the imprint of an iconic title. The first episode, “Encounter at Farpoint” introduces the memorable Q (John de Lancie). The God-like creature puts Picard, his crew and humanity on trial. The bonus features include episodic promos, materials used for the launching of the show, a gag reel and a detailed breakdown of how they brought the images to 1080p. The big thing is “Stardate Revisited,” a 90 minute documentary that explain how the new show was created. Going the syndication route allowed Gene Roddenberry to focus on the show instead of “Save the New Star Trek” campaigns. This truly is an upgrade of a legendary series. Now you’ll know why Picard keeps pulling at his uniform. A must buy for those who care about Picard in charge. There is a minor audio weirdness, but Paramount Home Entertainment is taking care of it. . Replacement discs (Disc 1, 3 and 4) will be made available free of charge. Please email phe.stng@bydeluxe.com for details regarding the replacement program. You may also call 877-DELUXE6 (877-335-8936) between 8am to 6pm Pacific, Monday-Friday.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi isn’t only about raw fish on rice. The documentary is about the burden of seeking perfection in yourself, your family and all that you touch. Jiro Ono runs a 10 seat sushi restaurant near a subway exit in Tokyo. Sukiyabashi Jiro can easily be overlooked. Even with such a humble location, Jiro boosts three Michelin stars. He’s considered the best sushi chef in Japan. Even in his mid-80s, Jiro lives at his restaurant. Every day he seeks to create the most perfect sushi. It does need to be close to perfect since his minimum price is $400 a meal. That’s 20 piece of sushi served to diners at the perfect conditions which takes about 15 minutes to eat. The documentary examines what Jiro does to keep up his three stars status. The guy doesn’t settle for anything less than the best. His son Yoshikazu is still working for him in the kitchen. Eventually he’ll take over the restaurant, but Jiro doesn’t seem ready to stay at home with his wife. Yoshikazu lives with the burden that most will never consider him as great as his father. Even he admits he’ll be haunted by his father’s ghost. There is a dark secret revealed about the son at the end of the film. The film is like a great piece of sushi with enormous depth inside the simplicity. Jiro Dreams of Sushi should be seen on Blu-ray so you can gasp at the beauty of the food made by Jiro, his son and their staff. The bonus features include longer interviews with the men who supply the seafood and rice to the restaurant. They are all people who won’t settle for food that’s not worthy of a $400 a plate pricetag. Remember to eat your sushi before watching the movie.

2012 NBA Champions Heats captures what everyone knew what was going to happen: LeBron James and the Miami Heat would win the title. He had been derailed last season when the Mavericks nabbed the trophy. He refused to be denied this season. After a nasty Eastern finals against the Boston Celtics, The Heat appeared to be burned out as the Oklahoma Thunder (formerly the Seattle Supersonics) took Game One. It seemed like Kevin Durant was ready to grab his title before LeBron, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh could cement their glory. But then the Thunder went down in flames. Why? As you’ll see in this documentary it was Shane Battier finally contributing more than making sure the Heat had five players on the court. He looked like a former NCAA champion as he gave the Thunder a reason to not double up on Wade or LeBron. The Blu-ray comes with a DVD so you can let your little NBA fanatic watch the Heat’s run while you’re racing around in the car. The bonus features mainly focus on Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. LeBron is denied a chance to converse with Ahmad Rashad. LeBron does get his best career playoff moments counted down.

La Grande Illusion is a must own title for anyone who dares to call themselves a cinema expert. Jean Renior’s masterpiece about three Frenchmen trapped in a German POW camp during World War I. While the trio are bent on escaping the fortress, the German in charge takes a liking to one of them that shares an aristocratic past. Eric von Stroheim strikes a memorable figure as the camp commander. Lionsgate has put out an amazing black and white transfer using the original negative. This is probably what the film looked like when it ran in 1937. The mono audio track is remarkable for something recorded at the advent of sound. The bonus features are plentiful included a guide to how they found the original negative. Olivier Curchod gives the background and context for the film. It was banned during World War II. This version of La Grande Illusion is also a better price and quality image quality than the previous Criterion version. Spring for the upgrade.

Treasure Island is another entry into SyFy Channel’s premium reworking of classic works of fiction such as previous projects Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan and Wizard of Oz. These aren’t the el cheapo CGI monster flicks. There’s quality on the screen in script, effects and acting talent. Jim Hawkins is a plucky young man with a treasure map. He gets on a boat in hopes of finding the “X” on the map. He befriends the cook (Eddie Izzard), but can he really trust the guy? Elijah Wood and Donald Sutherland join in the journey. The mini-series is much more entertaining than the last three Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Eddie Izzard finally gets a role that lets him be charming and devious. He’s no longer a missing in action thespian reduced to Arthur Treacher roles. The bonus features include a commentary track with Izzard and director Steve Barron. There are featurettes on the making, the cast, breaking down the swashbuckling and a tour of the Hispaniola ship. Treasure Island is over three hours long and worth every minute.

DVD SHELF

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXIV brings an end to two Franks. First we get the final two films from Sandy Frank that ran on the show. Fugitive Alien and Star Force: Fugitive Alien II aren’t really movies. Sandy Frank had bought the Japanese TV series Star Wolf and butchered up episodes to create two films. This way he could bundle them with his Gamera titles to offer low budget UHF stations wanting giant monster and SciFi movies to run on Saturdays. These wildly semi-unplotted movies drive Joel, Crow and Tom Servo nuts. They even try to outline the plot only to discover it has nothing in common with Hollywood Brooklyn Bridge graphic. Like so many Sandy Frank productions, the Japanese characters always get named Ken. Although he doesn’t wear a baseball cap like the Kenny in the Gamera films. What makes this final installment a must have is a bonus feature featuring Sandy Frank breaking down his amazing career in showbiz. He was once featured on 60 Minutes. Frank even talks about his iconic status thanks to be a “fav” of MST3K. Samson Vs. the Vampire Women says goodbye to TV’s Frank. The mad scientist is taken away to a better place thanks to Torgo. The Bots aren’t sure how to handle this departure. The movie is a Mexican masked wrestler supernatural action flick. His name is really El Santo so don’t keep asking when this film will turn into a Hercules knock-off. Don’t cry for TV’s Frank since there’s a feature about his amazing career after he left Deep 13. He didn’t end up back at Arby’s. He got to work with Nick Bakay on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He’s a busy man with powerful friends that don’t include Sandy Frank. The Sword and the Dragon is a big budget Soviet Union epic that was sliced up by Roger Corman so moviegoers would swear it was from Sweden or Denmark or any cold country that isn’t a Cold War menace. Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank find themselves on an accidental date when two ladies from Deep 12 knock on their door. They need Mike Nelson’s advice on how to get freaky with the ladies. There are also two bonus short film segments from episodes yet to be released. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXIV dares to be twice as Frank.

VEGA$: The Third Season, Volume 2 brings to a close Michael Mann’s greatest creation. That’s right, the man behind Heat is the creative father of Dan Tanna (SWAT‘s Robert Urich). What made Tanna such a memorable character was he truly wandered the casinos and streets of Middle School Las Vegas. Here are the final 12 episodes that celebrate the lurid crimes in Sin City. “The Heist” has a robbery exercise go bad when a member of Dan’s team doesn’t want to give back the money. Stars include Dick Bakalyan, James MacArthur (Danno from Hawaii Five-O) and Werner Klemperer (Hogan’s Heroes). “Time Bom” explodes with NFL legend Dick Butkus. “Set Up” makes Greg Morris (Mission: Impossible) a murder suspect. There’s a trifecta of guest stars in Simon Oakland (Kolchak: The Night Stalker), Sybil Danning (The Howling II) and Richard Basehart (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea). “The Killing” has the contractually obligated guest appearance of Victor Buono (King Tut on Batman). “Seek and Destroy” has the extremely young Tori Spelling. How did she land this role in an Aaron Spelling produced series? “Dead Ringer” has a mad bomber targeting Wayne Newton if he doesn’t leave the country. Las Vegas without Wayne Newton? Naturally Dan Tanna must beat up this mad man. Aren’t you curious how Randolph Mantooth gets into a “French Twist?” “Judgment Pronounced” has a Dan Tanna lookalike running around Vegas killing people. Who can he be? It’s Robert Urich’s older brother Tom. At least the show ended with a family affair. But it is sad to think Dan Tanna wasn’t around to see the construction on The Mirage. VEGA$ is such a guilty pleasure of a private investigator show. How can it have crapped out? Dan Tanna had a system?

Melrose Place: The 7th and Final Season, Volume 1 & Volume 2 wraps up the ’90s hottest apartment complex. How could this happen? Perhaps they got better offers from other units around Hollywood. Maybe they paying rent to the wicked Amanda (Heather Locklear) was too much. At least one former tenant moved back into the building. Jane (Josie Bissett) returned to the show since the cast overhaul had proven to be way too much for the viewers that were turning off the series. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro) and Amanda were the only real familiar faces going into the season. The saddest part of the season was announcing the Matt (Doug Savant) had died in a car wreck. The guy wasn’t even on the show and they had to kill him anyway. Turns out he had kept a diary of dirty neighbor secrets. A lot of people want to get that book to destroy others. The big finale gives Amanda a fitting end after her iconic time as the owner of the apartment complex. Do you get a deposit back after finishing every episode of the series? It’s a shame that after appearing in 199 episodes, Heather Locklear remained a special guest star in the credits.

Gunsmoke: The Sixth Season, Volume 1 is the final season of 30 minute version of the show. This is the finale of the concise Western before things got a bit more rambling. Marshal Dillon (James Arness) and Chester (Dennis Weaver) continue to keep Dodge City safe. Doc (Milburn Stone) patches them up. Miss Kitty (Amanada Blake) makes her bar less of a brothel. “Small Water” forces Warren Oates (The Wild Bunch) to free his old man on a bogus murder charge. “Ben Tolliver’s Stud” just sounds impressive to say in mixed company. “Old Fool” seduces Buddy Ebsen from his wife. He’s looking for a younger model, but why does she want him when he’s not yet Jed Clampett? “The Bad Sheriff” brings John Ford favorite Harry Carey Jr. onto the dirt streets. This version of the series used to air as Marshal Dillon on ME-TV. If you miss that version, buy the DVD set to get happy.

The Untouchables: Season 4, Volume 1 & Volume 2 wraps up the exploits of Eliot Ness (Robert Stack) and his crack mobster fighting unit. It’s been three years since Season 3. Fans were getting nervous that they had become forgotten. The fourth season is noted for toning down its use of fictional Italian gangsters. But don’t think that the violence was reduced. The season opener has Santa Claus get mowed down in a drive by shooting in the properly titled “Night They Shot Santa Claus.” This episode is so traumatic that ABC aired it in September. You’ll want to run this on Christmas Eve so the kids will know that St. Nick won’t be coming down the chimney. There are lots of major future stars this season. Mike Connors (Mannix) goes bad in “The Eddie O’Gara Story.” “Fist of Five” packs the double tandem of tough guys James Caan (The Godfather) and Lee Marvin (The Dirty Dozen). Telly Savalas (Kojak) swindles Frank Nitti (Bruce Gordon) in “The Speculator.” Robert Redford serves up bad bootleg booze in “The Snowball.” Robert Duvall (The Godfather) gets into a jazz trouble in “Blues for a Gone Goose.” “The Spoiler” unleashes the double team of Claude Akins (Sheriff Lobo) and Rip Torn (The Man Who Fell to Earth) on Ness. There is a bit of comedy when Ness has to pose as a jazz bass player in “The Jazz Player.” The Untouchables is now complete on DVD which means you can go to sleep late knowing Ness is keeping the world safe.

The Monitor is another creepy film starring Noomi Rapace (The original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). She’s a mom who has escaped from an abusive husband. In order to make sure her son is safe, she buys a baby monitor for the room. That’s when the supernatural trouble begins as she hears strange noises on the monitor. Things get even weird and weirder for her. Is it her ex-husband or something worse wanting to make contact with the son? The Monitor is a tight creepy film that has quite a few spook scares. Rapace knows how to look haunted by unworldly noises. The DVD presents the film in the original Norwegian and an English dub for those not in the mood to read while things go bump in the night. The bonus is deleted scenes. Watch it this way before Hollywood remakes it with Rapace 2.0. Because I love you so much, here’s the red band trailer.

Marley is an intimate portrait of Reggae superstar Bob Marley. Where did Bob Marley come from is answered over the course of 145 minutes. Bob has a complicated past just from the fact that he’s the offspring of a teenage girl and a 60 year old British civil servant. Mr. Marley wasn’t that supportive of his non-white offspring. Bob grew up in poverty in the hills and later Trenchtown on the island of Jamaica. As a teen, he sensed salvation in music instead of becoming a gangster. He formed the Wailers with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer to get their sound across. He bucked against the Jamaican music industry with his indie label. One of the enlightening moments is coverage of the time he lived in Delaware before returning to the island ready to be a star. He became more than just a singing star. His dreadlocks and songs of struggle with a catchy beat made him an international sensation. The film delves into his Rasta beliefs. Follow him into the bed of Miss World 1976. He became the most powerful man on the island to the point where people wanted him dead. The footage of Bob performing after he’d been shot is a testimony to his grit and passion for uniting people. If you own a copy of Bob Marley’s Legend, you need a copy of Marley next to the compact disc. There is plenty of vintage concert footage along with quite a few archival interviews with Marley to give his own perspective on events at the time. The best bonus is more time with Bunny Wailer.

LOL is comedic just for the casting of Demi Moore as Miley Cyrus’ mom. This movie would clean up the hardware if TMZ had a cinematic awards ceremony. Miley’s a high schooler in Chicago dealing with her life and cyber life. Can you be social without falling into the trap of social networking, twitter and dirty videos posted online? Miley is the not quite so innocent gal who enjoys her life. But can she deal with all the boys, the pressure to remain cool with her girlfriends and Demi Moore? She does a lot of kissing on screen to separate the frogs from the princes. Thomas Jane (Hung) gets to look authoritative. Will mom and daughter bond once more? Marlo Thomas plays her grandmother so the family tree goes That Girl to GI Jane to Hannah Montana. The film does bring up the controversy if LOL means Laugh Out Loud or Lots of Love? Seems people don’t claim their LOL meant Lots of Love until after they get called out for being callous. Miley does seem to be maturing as a teen actress. Hopefully she got plenty of advice from Demi Moore in how to deal with TMZ reports. The special features include a commentary track, cast videos and praise for director Lisa Azuelos.

Kathy Griffin Double Feature Pants Off / Tired Hooker captures the pop culture comic’s two Bravo specials minus the bleeping when she gets saucy. Griffin is America’s favorite caustic reality TV viewer and VIP velvet rope crasher. “Pants Off” opens with Maggie Griffin addressing the audience about her daughter. She reminds them to pick up a t-shirt in the lobby. Kathy bounces onto the eager to dish about Kim Kardashian’s wedding. She confesses her virtual wedding gift she left on the family’s website. She reads the tweets of Kim before the ceremony. “Tired Hooker” was taped three months later and opens with Kathy getting to break down the entire marriage of Kim Kardashian and that guy who doesn’t matter anymore. The 72 day marriage is a year’s worth of material for Kathy. The highlight of the show however Is her tale of getting Cher to order a pizza. Kathy does a wicked enough impersonation of the icon. Where does pizza come from? There’s 17 minutes of bonus routines slashed from each show. The reason to buy the DVD is to enjoy the cover with Kathy made up to look like Betty Page in fishnets, leopard print unmentionables and bangs. She’s looking hot for a woman that’s as old as Tom Cruise. This preview is not to be played around small children and your Great Aunt Anna even if she’s reading 50 Shades of Grey.

Hey Arnold! Season 2, Part 2 is the further exploits of a nine year old with a football-shaped head. These are the exploits of him and his pals in the urban jungle that aired on Nickelodeon during the late ’90s. Hey Arnold! is much more “adult” than any of the kid shows currently airing on Nick and Disney at this moment. “The High Life” has Arnold’s buddy Gerald get into the watch selling business to make money on the side. Unfortunately it overwhelms his life when more product arrives than he has space in his room. “Helga’s Boyfriend” has the monobrow gal date Stinky with the hopes of getting Arnold jealous. But is it right to toy with Stinky’s emotions? “Harold’s Bar Mitzvah” has the kid duck the ceremony since he doesn’t want to be a man. “Hall Monitor” sets Phoebe on the road to becoming a tyrant. She gives detentions to anyone that crosses her. “Teachers Strike” makes the kids think missing classes when the work stoppage shuts down the school. The party is ruined when they have to make up the days later in summer. “Runaway Float” lets Arnold design a parade float representing the city. The high cost of building it prevents the school system from making it a reality. Helga gets her dad to fund the float for $300 so there might be compromises. Hey Arnold! deserves its greatness to be shouted out to a new generation.

Casa de mi Padre brings you Will Farrell in a western. While that sounds almost normal, things get weird since he’s speaking Spanish in a semispoof of the Telenovelas that air on Univision. Will is the son of a rancher who is having money issues. He thinks his younger brother has solved the cash flow except his connections might be less than legitimate. Trouble also comes in the form of the brother’s new fiancée. Will wants his future sister-in-law. Complications of the heart get prickly when the nation’s leading drug lord arrives to see his new business acquisition. There’s a weird vibe that this was a Funny or Die short that Will refused to stop and break character. It’s entertaining and not a mocking of the Telenovela format. If you watch E!’s The Soup, you’ll know how absurd and freaky these Spanish language soap operas can get to grab eyeballs. There’s almost restraint in Case de mi Padre. Will’s Spanish should be a beacon of hope to students struggling with college language courses.

The Smurfs and the Magic Flute is the original film from 1976 that didn’t make it to America until 1983 after the Saturday morning series was a major hit. Delaying the release turned out to be a good thing since the film was the biggest grossing animation film not produced by Disney. Little blue power got little kids into the theaters. The story focuses on a magic flute that’s being used by the evil McCreep to rob people. Peewit, a court jester and Sir Johan seek to retrieve the flute to save the kingdom and build up their legacies. Their only hope is if Papa Smurfs and the Smurfs can make a second flute for a flute fight to the finish. How can anyone expect to defeat a guy named McCreep? The DVD has the complete 71 minute film even though the opening has been altered to put in a website address. I’m going to guess that this won’t both small children. The film is different in characters, tone and animation from the Hanna-Barbera version, but nothing too disoriented. The bonus features are text essays giving history of the Smurfs, terms and how the film was made. There’s also a gallery of the various Smurfs in case you need a refresher.

The Rookies: The Complete Second Season is actually the reverse of Charlie’s Angels. This Aaron Spelling series was about three guys who go to the police academy and graduate to a life of overwhelming action while working their police beats. They didn’t need to get hired away by Charlie to live a life of danger. Trio consists of George Stanford Brown, Sam Melville and Michael Ontkean (Slap Shot and Twin Peaks) as partners in fighting crime. Gerald S. O’Loughlin is their veteran moral compass. Future Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson is a nurse married to Melville. The second season consists of 23 episodes. Things get started out right when John Saxon arrives. Also James Sikking appears a few years before he’d become a regular on Hill Street Blues. “Margin for Error” also has the future Sheriff Lobo in Claude Akins. Hold onto your hair when John Travolta arrives on “Frozen Smoke.” Pat Harrington gets to drop his animated Inspector accent in “Cry Wolf.” Johnny Brown plays the original Huggy Bear on “Prayers Unanswered, Prayers Unheard.” Star power can’t be stopped on “Down Home” when Jim Nabors arrives on the beat. Battlestar Galactica fans get to taste Richard Hatch in “Lots of Trees and a Running Stream.” Here’s a fun one: “Teacher” stars Nick Nolte who would eventually star in the movie Teachers. Also on the black board is Strother Martin and Don Johnson. Strother co-stars with Ontkean in Slap Shot. “Time Lock” releases Tyne Daly before she gets a badge in Cagney & Lacey. “Death Watch” delivers the contractually obligated guest star casting of Anthony Zerbe (Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park). This a cop show that knows no restraint. It was this lack of realism that made it Ontkean’s final season even though The Rookies lasted two more seasons and launched S.W.A.T.

Boss: Season One allows Kelsey Grammer to stop playing for laughs as he gets serious to run Chicago. Things aren’t going good for the guy. Besides all the usual political mess, he gets the news that his brain is failing him thanks to DLB. Can he get his work done before his mind shuts down? Can he keep this a secret from his enemies in the city? He has another election coming up. Can he hide the symptoms while going full blast in public with baby kissing and handshaking. The pilot episode was directed by Gus Van Sant. Strange to think that the guy behind My Private Idaho called the shots on the right wing Grammar. Van Sant sets the proper tone for the show. It’s Wire-esque for its approach to how a city runs. Those who don’t get Starz might want to watch all 8 episodes and pay for the channel when the second season of Boss starts on August 17. Makes you wonder what health issues other candidates are hiding in hopes you’ll elect them without fear. Grammer finally busts his Cheers time with a powerful show that steals best new drama of 2011 like a good Chicago politician.

The Sword Identity is a Chinese action film about the struggle to erase the stigma of the sword during the Ming Dynasty. The weapon at the time was viewed as a Japanese weapon. When nobody in China will give it a break, the inventor proves it’s invaluable. There’s a lot of good fighting in the movie. Xu Haofeng wrote, directed and edited the film and doesn’t come off as a first timer. There a bit of warmth and comical touches along with the fast paced fight scenes. The battle between the sword and various weapons will dazzle the eyes until you beg to get your own sword.

Blue Like Jazz is notable just because it was initial funding came from Kickstarter campaign. The movie is based on Donald Miller’s memoir about how his faith was tempered in college. Don (Marshall Allman) flees his Holy Roller family in Texas for a goofy school in Portland. Can he fit in and learn at the institution? Or will he merely become a bit character in Portlandia? College is a place of spiritual questioning. My own crisis came from asking how can there be a loving God if he didn’t warn me that taking Organic Chemistry at 7:50 a.m. was a bad idea? That’s Satan’s work. It led to me joining a cult known as “Students on Academic Warning II.” Don comes off a bit smarter in his class schedule. He’s just got to make sure he doesn’t get lost in a spiritual whirlwind. Marshall Allman played Sam Merlot’s shape-shifting brother on True Blood. He’s very likable in the lead here.

My Little Pony – Friendship Is Magic: Royal Pony Wedding is much more exciting than last summer’s royal wedding for Prince William and Princes…..was it Leia? You can’t beat a bunch of animated horses getting hitched. This seems like the perfect set up. Shining Armor is going to marry Cadance. She’s the niece of Princess Celestia. Everyone is blissed out except for the unicorn Twinkle Sparkle. Why is the younger brother not happy at the nuptial? It takes two episodes to get the answer. Also included on the DVD are “Hearts and Hooves Day,” “Sweet & Elite” and “The Best Night Ever.” This is another Brony event that requires formal dress.