THE UNHOLY BLU-RAY review

Following a near death experience that he inexplicably survived, Father Michael (Ben Cross) is given his own parish, St Agnes. There, he meets Millie (Jill Carroll), a teenage runaway who has become involved with a local nightclub owner with links to the occult. As Father Michael tries to save Millie and determine if the demonic goings-on are a hoax, he is forced to question the strength of his beliefs.

One of a number of religious films released in the years after The Exorcist, The Unholy takes the familiar idea of a priest trying to save a young woman but sets itself apart from the opening scene, which sees Father Dennis, the former priest for St Agnes, praying at the alter as a red-headed temptress in very see-through clothing approaches him for the last kiss he will ever have. With its garish lighting and liberal use of wind machines its like a more biblical version of Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart music video, but also with more boobs.

It turns out that when he died, Father Dennis was also trying to save Millie from her association with Luke (William Russ), the owner of a local club called The Threshold that performs on stage ritual sacrifices of debatable authenticity. Luke, a weird Billy Idol-esque bad boy with a strong 'N'awlins' drawl denies having any real association with the occult and also wants to save Millie. Is Luke really who he seems or is it possible she's leading both of them on?

It's inevitable that any horror with a heavily religious theme is going to be compared to The Exorcist, but to give it its dues, The Unholy does its best to offer something different than a simple clone of that film. At times it lacks the subtlety or restraint of The Exorcist, and that had a teenage girl masturbating with a crucifix. This is more in B-movie territory, the kind of schlocky nonsense that in the early 90s you'd find in the VHS collection of your mate's older brother, with corpses bursting into flames and voluminous bloody vomit splashing down at the foot of the alter. Nice.

It also relies more on some gloopy creature effects, that work to a varying degree in the context of the story. Some of the scenes of demonic possession are exemplified by billowing curtains and torn up pieces of paper flying around, but by and large this is a well shot film with a nice visual style. Hal Holbrook, Ned Beatty and Trevor Howard pop up in small roles, but the film belongs to Ben Cross who really sinks his teeth into the role of Father Michael, giving an admirably weighty performance that keeps the film from slipping into farce. With shades of Suspiria and The Wicker Man, The Unholy is an enjoyably pulpy take on the religious horror movie.

Verdict
3/5

Special Features-
- Audio commentary from director Camilo Vila
- Isolated score and interview with composer Roger Bellon
- Audio interview with production designer and co-writer Fernando Fonseca
- 'Sins of the Father' with Ben Cross
- 'Prayer Offerings' with production designer and co-writer Fernando Fonseca
- 'Demons in the Flesh', the monsters of The Unholy
- Original ending with optional commentary from producer Mathew Haydon
- Theatrical trailer
- TV and radio spots
- Storyboard and stills gallery

PARENTS BLU-RAY review

Meet the Laemle's. At first glance they're your typical 50s American family... Dad goes to work every day whilst Mom stays at home doing housework and preparing dinner for her 10 year old son, Michael. Except Michael isn't your average child, and he's starting to question why they have leftovers for dinner every night, and what were they before they were leftovers?

Pitched somewhere between Tim Burton's Pee Wee's Big Adventure and David Lynch's Blue Velvet, Parents is a very weird film about a very weird family. Main character Michael (Bryan Madorsky) is not a chip off the old block, generally scared and concerned about who his parents really are behind the sheen of suburban harmony. Dad (Randy Quaid) may be all comfortable sweaters and horn-rimmed glasses on the surface, but his job at Toxico doing experiments on cadavers hides something sinister about the man inside the sweater; and Mom (Mary Beth Hurt) may look like she's straight off the cover of a family cookbook, but there's definitely some strange ingredients in her recipes.

Directed by character actor Bob Balaban, probably best known for his appearance in Close Encounters of the Third Kind or his more recent work with Wes Anderson (or maybe just as Phoebe's dad in Friends), it's always interesting to see what material drives actors to make their first film behind the camera. Although this was Balaban's first theatrical directorial effort back in 1989, he had previously (and has primarily since) worked in television, perhaps most pertinent to this film on the pilot episode of the television series Tales from the Darkside.

Featuring orchestral music by David Lynch regular Angelo Badalamenti, Parents has a dark and sombre tone not unlike Twin Peaks, but as a dark suburban fantasy it nails the weirdness whilst never quite managing to be scary or gripping enough to match the world created by Lynch and Frost, which to be fair, is probably asking too much of this film. Kind of like a junior school version of Society, it works best when the smiles of this perfect nuclear family start to crack and Mom and Dad start to reveal their dark secrets, although Michael is such a weird little boy it's up for debate as to how real what he thinks he sees is.

The sole acting credit for Bryan Madorsky, he's great at playing the kind of kid you'd be worried about your own offspring hanging out with, like a young Norman Bates in waiting. He never does anything more irrational than worry about his own safety, but still... you just sort of know he's a weird kid. But Madorsky is more than capable of holding his own against the likes of Randy Quaid - a man not afraid of putting in a big performance when asked to do so-, and he has some great scenes with Mary Beth Hurt's Mom, like a deadpan Wednesday Addams interacting with Laura Linney's super chipper housewife from The Truman Show.

Make no bones about it, Parents is an extremely odd, sometimes sinister and occasionally disgusting vision of the perfect 1950s suburban life, and although you many never find yourself corpsing with laughter, it's an eccentric and curious oddity that raises a few smiles in its downright weirdness.

Verdict
3/5

Special Features-
- Commentary from director Bob Balaban and producer Bonnie Palef
- Isolated score and interview with composer Jonathan Elias
- 'Mother's Day' - a new interview with Mary Beth Hurt
- 'Inside Out' - an interview with director of photography Robin Vidgeon
- 'Vintage Tastes' - with decorative consultant Yolanda Cuomo
- Theatrical trailer
- Radio spots
- Stills gallery

CLASS OF 1999 BLU-RAY review

In 1999 there is no law. Society is crumbling, and Dr Bob Forrest (Stacy Keach) thinks he has the answer in the shape of highly advanced, lifelike robots that can keep the youth of the day in check. With gangs taking over his school, Malcolm McDowell's Kennedy High principal agrees to let the robots teach classes, as long as they can deliver what the children need most... discipline.

Released from juvie and headed back to school on the same day is bad boy Cody (Bradley Gregg), former leader of the Blackhearts gang, now eager to serve his time in school and keep his nose clean, until he learns that his younger brother Angel (Joshua John Miller, aka the late 80s answer to Edward Furlong) is about to be initiated into the gang. Hoping to keep himself and his brother out of trouble and away from the mysterious new teachers at school, Cody still finds himself landing on their radar. The three teachers, 'old man-bot', 'not Arnie-bot' and 'actual Pam Grier-bot' start doling out a variety of punishments, quickly escalating from spankings and a good shove, to actual cold blooded murder. In order to uncover the real truth about the new teachers and where they come from, Cody, along with the help of the principal's daughter Christie (Traci Lind) breaks into the teachers' apartment where the robo-conspiracy begins to unravel when he find cupboards filled with (dun, dun, dun)... WD40.

What's quite impressive in Class of 1999 is that cinemas favourite rent-a-baddie Malcolm McDowell isn't even that bad a guy. Heck, he isn't even the second most evil white haired man in the film. The top honours go to Stacy Keach, introduced to us with a bright white mullet and irises to match, later gleefully covering up the murder of children whilst chowing down on a banana. All his dialogue is delivered through a maniacal grin that would give schoolchildren nightmares.

Part of the fun of re-visiting "old" genre films is how wrong (and sometimes how right) they got their visions of the future. Now, I'm not suggesting that director Mark Lester saw this scenario actually becoming a reality, but it's an added bonus to look back on this film, 20 years after it was set and enjoy the many "thank god that didn't happen" morsels. Here Lester is doubling down on the concept of outlaw school kids he used for Class of 1984 (released in 1982), but at least this time he gave a good 9 years notice for his futuristic vision to come into effect.

I think it's fair to say that this film quite liberally 'takes inspiration' from James Cameron's The Terminator, but does it in a style that would please Cameron's former mentor Roger Corman. Class of 1999 takes Cameron's idea and says "what if school teachers were Terminators?", running with the concept to its illogical conclusion. There's also plenty to snark at in the vision of the future that begins with infographics straight out of Escape From New York and then features its three 'deadly' robots orchestrating gang warfare by driving around in a nice, functional Ford saloon car. It also doesn't have the same level of special effects as Cameron's original - less Cyberdyne systems and more like Jones from Police Academy 6 stuffing off-cuts of metal up his sleeve to pass as a robot - although there is a step up come the finale when the teens are pursued by a very Arnie-like walking metal skeleton. And yet despite all these moments of ridiculousness, Class of 1999 is not a bad film by any stretch.

The latest film to be given the hi-def upgrade as part of the Vestron Video Collector's Series, Class of 1999 is derivative of other, better films, for sure, and definitely doesn't make enough of having Pam Grier in the cast, but any film that has enough sense of humour to have a teacher profess how much he likes to "mould young minds" as he drills through a students forehead is okay with me.

Verdict
3.5/5

Special Features -
- Commentary by producer/director Mark Lester
- School Safety - interviews with Mark Lester and producer Eugene Mazzola
- New Rules - interview with screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner
- Cyber-Teachers From Hell - interview with special effects creators Eric Allard and Rick Stratton
- Future of Discipline - interview with director of photography Mark Irwin
- Theatrical trailer
- TV spots
- Stills Gallery
- Video promo

THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS review

Money may not be able to buy you love, but it can buy you this lovely new exploration of the Beatles's touring years to watch at home, as loud as you can get it. Out now on DVD and blu-ray, Ron Howard's latest documentary follows the Fab Four during their formative years on the road and on their way to mega stardom, allowing you to be part of the mania.

If you're of a certain age like me, you'll not have been able to experience the Beatles in their heyday, only experiencing them through short clips on television that are used to celebrate their cultural importance. Part of the joy of this documentary is the chance to go long with their performances, soaking in all the atmosphere of their concerts and almost as entertainingly, their interviews with journalists, completely sideswiped by these cocky young men from Liverpool. Showing what brilliant musicians they were, playing to a packed crowd at Shea Stadium (through the crackly PA system, not that you could hear the band over the screams of fans anyway), they remain ever the showmen carrying on through the din, and in sync.

This is not a documentary about life in the Beatles as a whole, plagued with infighting, musical differences and, gulp, wives and girlfriends. This is a very specific snapshot about a very specific period in the bands existence in the 1960s when they were bigger than... well, you know who. As one of the most important and documented bands of the 20th Century, it's surprising to see how much new footage is presented here, making this a nostalgia binge for lifelong Beatles fans and an eye opener for people who under-estimate how much of a worldwide phenomenon they were.

It does place the band in the wider context of what was going on in the world, for example, the band's refusal to play to segregated audiences in America was a bold move that the band haven't been given enough credit for. Among the people able to offer some fascinating insights is Whoopi Goldberg, expressing her heartfelt reasons for loving The Beatles and what they stood for and stood up against.

Being on the road for such an extended period of time of course had a huge impact on their personal lives, but it's only their musical experimentation that's explored here. There's no John and Yoko, no Paul and Linda. Just John, Paul, George and Ringo and the connection and camaraderie between them has never been more clear. Yes, they make fun of each other, but it's out of brotherhood borne out of their rarest of situations. This documentary shows them becoming grown ups on the world stage, the band (in particular John) learning the hard way that there were scores of people waiting for them to put a foot wrong, ready to admonish them.

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years may be cumbersomely titled and quite US-centric, but there's absolutely no contest that this is Ron Howard's best film of the year. The choice to limit its scope to these years pays dividends, although a follow up chapter would be most welcome. A lovingly crafted documentary that, although it may not be able to offer too many revelations, is still a must see for any Beatles fans. It's fantastic and infectious; in short, it's fab.

 

Verdict
5/5

Extra Features

Available in a few different formats, the 2 disc Collector's Edition features a whole disc of extras including a 64 page booklet with photos from The Beatles' private archive and an essay from music writer Jon Savage; a short documentary about the band's approach to songwriting with new interviews with Paul and Ringo; another short doc looking at the band's pre-fame existence in Liverpool; and the jewel of the extras is The Beatles in Concert, with live performances of some of their most iconic hits at one of the loudest locations you'll ever see.

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 - 40TH ANNIVERSARY BLU-RAY review

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 sees a group of cops and criminals held up in an abandoned police station as they face off against a group of bad guys out for revenge against one of their inhabitants. All that stands between them and the gang knocking at their door is their wits and a couple of shotguns.

Carpenter is currently riding a wave of popularity for his instantly recognisable scores, touring his music to fans young and old. Assault on Precinct 13 has one of those scores, his rich electronic tones a welcome addition to any cinematic experience. There's a real possibility that this newly re-released package will be seen by an audience more familiar with the films that have drawn inspiration from it like Shaun of the Dead, From Dusk til Dawn or even the 2006 remake, but the original stands up on its own. I say original, for as Carpenter freely admits, this is for all intents and purposes a reworking of Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo with its depiction of 1970s lawlessness harking back to the savagery of the old west. Likewise, George Romero's Night of the Living Dead can be seen as strong influence, with the film's black protagonist and the largely faceless horde eager to gain access to the station. There is no one true leader, just an angry, violent and ignored element of society.

Personally I've always worried that, barring a couple of exceptions, Carpenter's films are better in idea than in execution, but I would happily class Assault on Precinct 13 as one of those exceptions. Perhaps it's worth noting that this is "Assault on Precinct 13, a film by John Carpenter" rather than "John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13", made at an earlier point in his varied career when he wasn't (to draw on his recent tour for a metaphor) playing to an audience who knew all of his greatest hits. His second theatrical release (two years after Dark Star but two years before Halloween), there's still that raw quality to his filmmaking that has been understandably honed across the course of his career.

One thing that instantly stands out on this new blu-ray is how surprisingly good this 40 year old film looks. The film is much more than just the siege scenes, and a lot more scenes take place during the day than I remembered, taking its time in establishing the tone and characters before thoroughly pulling the rug out from underneath its heroes (and anti-heroes). Precinct 13 has some scenes that have grown in infamy over the last 40 years (I'm looking at you, Ice Cream Truck scene) and it's to the film's credit that they're still able to pack a real punch, even by today's standards of gratuitous and un-signposted violence.

Anchored by some solid performances by Austin Stoker and Darwin Joston as the excellently named Ethan Bishop and Napoleon Wilson, if this is your first experience or you are a Carpenter fanatic, this new package has a wealth of extra features that make it worth a look. Assault on Precinct 13 is Carpenter at his stripped down, action heavy best.

Extras include:

- Commentaries from John Carpenter and Tommy Lee Wallace
- Interview with star Austin Stoker
- Interview with Carpenter's right hand man Tommy Lee Wallace
- Interview with executive producer Joseph Kaufman
- Trailer
- The Limited edition box also includes art cards and a copy of Carpenter's electronic score

RE-ANIMATOR Blu-ray review

Starring Jeffrey Combs as H.P. Lovecraft's Dr Herbert West, out now as a 2 disc special edition Blu-ray is the splatter classic Re-Animator.

FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR BLU-RAY review

The second of this week's classic '80s films to arrive on Blu-ray, the nostalgia-fest that is Flight of the Navigator is available now. When David Freeman disappears for 8 years only to return without having aged a day, NASA scientists start to study the information stored in his brain that has something to do with a spaceship they've recently found.

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

In the run up to Christmas there's always one week that's almost entirely devoted to new stand-up DVDs hitting the market. This is that week. Still, ignoring all of that lot, there has to be one or two decent films mixed in, surely?

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

Not the busiest of weeks, but there's one or two gems among this week's selection of new DVD and Blu-ray titles.

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

Stuck in a post-Olympics lull, there's very few releases of note this week, apart from a slice of Nordic Noir and Sean Penn finding his inner Robert Smith.

The Good, the Bad and the Blu-rays

Get out of my dreams, get into my DVD collection; this week's selection contains one shining light of a re-release and the star of one of the biggest films of all time sharing the screen with an ex-Hollyoaks cast member.

Ghostbusters - Yes, it's true, this man has more discs.

If, like me, you snapped up a copy of Ghostbusters when it was released on Blu-ray back in 2009, prepare to feel a slight bit of regret that you didn't wait a while.

Instead of releasing the under appreciated (but admittedly nowhere near as good) Ghostbusters 2 on the Blu-ray format, the bigwigs in 'Hollywood' have decided to make us loyal, honest Ghostbusters fans have a second bite of the cherry by releasing the film in a nice new steelbook edition. What's so different about this edition you may ask? Well, from first appearances it would seem to be nothing except the tin (artwork TBC, obviously), as I'm pretty sure that's exactly the same disc that is gracing my now inferior, unloved copy of the film.

So, not only do I now own Ghostbusters on a VHS i'll never need to play, a DVD that I don't need because I bought the re-released version in slime green packaging, the re-released version in slime green packaging that became inferior with the arrival of the Blu-ray, but i'll soon be buying the same film on the same format with the same extras purely because the steelbook packaging looks pretty. Don't judge me.

If 'busting makes you feel good too, the steelbook edition is due for release on November 5th and can be pre-ordered from Amazon now.

ARTHUR BLU-RAY review

The next step for Russell Brand: Movie star was to find a suitable star vehicle for him. Taking the role of a partying, hard drinking playboy would be a perfect fit, right? Right?

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO BLU-RAY review

Released a mere two years after the Swedish original, David Fincher's take on Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

A MIDNIGHT CLEAR BLU-RAY review

Based on the novel by William Wharton, A Midnight Clear sees a group of young soldiers stationed in the Ardennes Forest, coming face to the face with a group of German soldiers near the end of World War II. Re-released to mark its 20th anniversary, A Midnight Clear stars a cast of young Hollywood talent at the start of their careers.

TT3D: CLOSER TO THE EDGE BLU-RAY review

Chronicling the lives of the 2010 Tourist Trophy road racers, TT3D is out now on DVD and Blu-ray. Watch the trailer and read my review, next...

KILLER ELITE BLU-RAY review

Starring Jason Statham, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen, the mercenaries gone rogue thriller is out now on DVD and Blu-ray. Watch the trailer and read my review, next...

STAKE LAND BLU-RAY review

Set in a near future that has seen humanity ravaged by a new breed of vampires, Stake Land is out now on DVD and Blu-ray. Watch the trailer and read my review, next...

THE WARD BLU-RAY review

John Carpenter's first film in nearly a decade is out now on DVD and Blu-ray, but has he still got what it takes to scare audiences? Watch the trailer and read my review, next...

CONAN THE BARBARIAN BLU-RAY review

Can Conan the next generation stand a chance of battling off memories of Arnie's 80's sword and sandals epic? Read my review and watch the trailer, next...