Blu-ray & DVD Review Round-Up: HUNTER KILLER, REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN, THE UNHOLY & MORE
This time around: Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman take to the seas in Hunter Killer, meet the men of steel in Reign Of The Supermen, Heaven and Hell collide in The Unholy, Parents are weird and party like the Class Of 1999.
Blu-ray Review: Hunter Killer
Hunter Killer is a fun old-fashioned action spectacle that plays like a 1990s throwback. Gerard Butler is the submarine captain charged with averting World War III, Gary Oldman is the exasperated General and Toby Stephens is the soldier on the ground. It’s a little too long, but there’s fun to be had here. Butler shows restraint, Stephens shows machismo and Oldman shows that he can shout – loud.
Good fun!
Special Features
You get an informative commentary from director Donovan Marsh and a pair of solid behind-the-scenes pieces.
Blu-ray Review: Reign Of The Supermen
Reign Of The Supermen picks up after the Death Of Superman as Metropolis is faced with a wrath of new Supermen. There’s some well placed storytelling amongst the action and the animation is well above average for this sort of thing. Jerry O’Connell is an excellent Superman, Rebecca Romijn makes for a good Lois Lane and Rainn Wilson is a suitably evil lex Luthor.
Blu-ray Review: The Unholy
A gonzo version of The Exorcist. The Unholy sees a priest (the aptly named Ben Cross) battling evil in his parish in New Orleans. The pace is a little slow, but Camilo Vila’s film has some impressive visuals and social effects. The supporting cast of this 1988 horror is also well above average with Ned Beatty, Hal Holbrook, and Trevor Howard all putting in an appearance.
Special Features
This new Vestron blu-ray is packed with brilliant extras. You get interviews and behind the scenes info galore, a director’s commentary, trailers, TV spots. Everything that you would ever one, really. Excellent.
Blu-ray Review: Parents
Bob Balaban’s comedy-horror Parents doesn’t really work. The film is about a young boy (Bryan Madorsky) who thinks his parents (Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt) are cannibals and we see everything from his perspective. The laughs aren’t there and there’s no real horror. Having said that, Parents has some impressive production design and camera work.
Special Features
Another Vestron release with excellent extras, A Bob Balaban commentary and in-depth interviews writer Christopher Hawthorne, Mary Beth Hurt and DOP Robin Vidgeon. Better and more entertaining than the movie.
Blu-ray Review: The Class Of 1999
Mix The Terminator and Robocop and throw in a bit of Dangerous Minds for good measure.. As crazy as it sounds, that’s what Mark L. Lester’s Class Of 1999 is. It’s junk, but well made junk. There’s fun to be had in this futuristic actioneer even if it doesn’t make a lick of sense. The stunts are well done and the practical special effects are great.
Special Features
Once more it’s extras galore from Vestron. A Director’s commentary and interviews up the wazoo. Great stuff again.
