"THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2: UNRATED"
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MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Michael McMillian as NAPOLEON Jessica Stroup as AMBER Daniella Alonso as MISSY Jacob Vargas as CRANK Lee Thompson Young as DELMER Ben Growley as STUMP Unrated Studio: Fox Atomic Directed by: Martin Weisz |
Now available on DVD, “The Hills Have Eyes 2” continues where the first remake ended. Now, scientists are cleaning up the former bomb test sites only to be attacked by killer mutants. A partially trained group of weekend warriors are sent to their rescue, only to be attacked themselves.
If you like the ultra violence, you can check this flick out. Not as powerful as the first remake, this has less desirable characters and more extreme violence. The first five minutes alone is enough to make you shudder – and wonder what won’t get put in a major movie now.
Aside from the chance to see some more graphic content which was edited from the theatrical release, the reason to check this DVD out is the bonus features. While there’s no commentary, there’s plenty of extra selections, including some deleted scenes and an alternate ending. There’s a mildly funny gag reel, a behind-the-scenes doco and a look at the mutants. However, what’s best for the cross-marketing is a look at the graphic novel, which looks pretty sweet. The special features are rounded out with a spotlight on Wes Craven from Fox Movie Channel’s “Life After Film School” series.
"PATHFINDER: UNRATED"
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MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Karl Urban as GHOST Moon Bloodgood as STARFIRE Russell Means as PATHFINDER Clancy Btown as GUNNAR Unrated Studio: 20th Century Fox Directed by: Marcus Nispel |
What killed this film in the theater was the lack of plot. Basically, the film is a revenge story with the iron age meeting the stone age. However, having read the original graphic novel, I was impressed with its faithful retelling of the story. More of a piece of art with the screen as the canvas, “Pathfinder” is a pure adaptation, albeit one that the public wasn’t ready for.
The DVD comes with a nice selection of special features, including a director’s commentary and about a half-dozen deleted scenes, which can also be played with the commentary track. There’s also a selection of featurettes that spotlight the making of the film from the design to the stunts to the cult hero status of Clancy Brown (who plays the main bad-guy Viking in the film). However, the most interesting feature is a short conceptual trailer that was shot in one day in order to pitch the film. While the movie didn’t do great in the theaters, I can see why executives were taken with the concept because the pitch trailer looks great.
"300"
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MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Gerard Butler as KING LEONIDAS Lena Headey as QUEEN GORGO Dominic West as THERON David Wenham as DILIOS Vincent Regan as CAPTAIN Rated R Studio: Warner Bros. Directed by: Zack Snyder |
There’s more to the film than ancient warriors kicking the snot out of each other, but it definitely serves its purpose there. With a solid message of freedom and fighting the good fight, “300” is an inspiring piece. The effects are fantastic, and the action is mind-blowing. Originally, I feared the story might drag a bit, but I was pleasantly surprised with how engrossing the movie was.
The basic version of the DVD, whether you’re getting the widescreen version or the fullscreen version, comes with a depressingly scant number of special features. Director Zack Snyder lends his voice to a commentary track, as well as a behind-the-scenes featurette as an Easter egg and a sneak preview of the upcoming “Trick ‘r Treat” due out in October, but not nearly worth the purchase of the single-disc set. Go ahead and rent this one (although you might want to get the widescreen for full theatrical effect). However, if you’re gonna put money down to own it, get the double-disc set that includes oodles of special features.
