Disc Type

Once again I have the pleasure of reviewing a Blu-ray double feature distributed by Shout Factory. This time out, I have been graced with two sci-fi adventure films from the mid 1980’s: The Dungeonmaster and Eliminators. Although the two films play well as a double feature, the cheesy (yet oh, so beautiful) aesthetics and special effects are not these films’ only connection. Peter Manoogian sits in the director’s chair for Eliminators and also one of the segments of The Dungeonmaster. Manoogian came onto my radar with his 1992 video feature Demonic Toys, so I was really excited to experience his earlier (and arguably better) work.

Starting with The Dungeonmaster: this film is absolutely crazy. If you do not have a clear grasp of the film’s concept, it may be a tough pill of 80’s sci-fi to swallow. The film follows Paul Bradford (Jeffrey Byron) as he journeys into his own computer system to save his girlfriend from the evil wizard Mestema (Richard Moll). While that story seems simple enough, the film is broken into several segments. Each segment is a different challenge set forth by Mestema that Paul must overcome. However, what makes this concept unique is that each segment has a different director. That being said, although each segment is directly tied to the story; with each new challenge, the film changes tone right before your eyes. If you are not aware of that fact going in, I will admit the film might be a little overbearing.

Baby here again. Yeah, I'm the Shepherd/Chow that runs the whole operation here at Upcomingdiscs. I give the orders and everyone jumps. OK, I made that last part up. You know who does jump? It's those UPS and Fed Ex guys who keep trying to deliver stuff here. They're getting a little too cocky, if you ask me. The problem is that no one around here asks me anything. The only time I get asked for something is when a dog film comes into the house. Then Gino puts on the charm. Me, I think it's racial profiling, and I'm not standing for it any more. Besides, lying down just feels a lot better anyway. The movie is called A Christmas Tail. It's a kind of play on words. You humans think you're so clever. But if it weren't for those thumbs ...

The movie actually starts out with the pretty solid idea that dogs make great Christmas presents. At least that's what Jack (Cupo) thinks when he gets his daughter a dog they name Bear for an early Christmas present. Of course, she loves Bear even if he isn't a Shepherd/Chow mix, and it looks like happily ever after, right? One of the neighbors takes exception to Bear digging in his front yard. So he calls the dog police and has him sent to a shelter where Maggie (West) is also looking for a dog for her son for Christmas. Hey, I'm a dog, and already I knew where this was going. So while Jack is looking for Bear, Maggie and her son now have a new dog named Paisley Of course, it's the same dog. When they finally meet, they decide to share the dog but keep the name Bear. He dodged a big one there. I guess Baby was already taken.

Inside Amy Schumer is satire. The definition of satire is the use of irony, humor, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Satire, frankly, is not always very funny. I don’t find Schumer terribly funny, but she can be at times. I do think she is spearheading discussions of numerous issues. So how you judge Schumer can depend on what you think is important. It can also depend on where you stand on the issues she brings attention to, or whether you might even be a target of her satire.

This is the third season that I’m reviewing that has gotten some of the highest praise from critics. When they do that, they should at least acknowledge some of the juvenile thrusts of the material. I have no problem with sophomoric and juvenile humor, but the subversive undercurrent is far from clear sometimes. One of the most mentioned skits is the “Twelve Angry Men” skit. It is a clear homage to the Henry Fonda movie, but rewritten to decide the fate of Amy Schumer. Is she hot enough for TV, basic cable, or whatever? It suggests she might be put to death for her transgression of non-hotness. They have no problem pushing the limits of absurdity or the limits of basic cable.

A bit animated in certain areas, but all in all a pretty good martial arts experience in my opinion. The Guardsman tells the story of a man charged with the safe keeping of the emperor of China, a job that entails a great many challenges even from those he considers family. When word is received that a group of Japanese pirates will make an attempt on the life of the emperor and a group of countrymen are complicit in the plot, our hero is unsure where to turn and who he can trust. Fair warning, in true fashion of martial arts films, it is English subtitles, so if you do not enjoy getting your dose of literature, this may not be the film for you. Admittedly, it can be a bit distracting attempting to read the dialog as well as follow the action on screen. Despite that, those willing to undertake the task may come to enjoy what the story has to offer. I had trouble following the plot at times (and no, it wasn’t because of the subtitles) due to the shifting perspectives. The film is told from the point of view of several different characters. True, the Guardsman is the focal point, but there remain at least three separate subplots in regard to the assassination plot on the emperor. This at times makes it difficult to keep track of the story. One or two subplots is OK, actually two should be the maximum in my opinion simply to prevent overcrowding. I estimate around three to four subplots that intertwine with the main plot. Far too many, as at this point I found myself unable to keep track of everything that was happening. My opinion, the only perspectives that mattered were the assassination plot, the countrymen complicity, and maybe the perspective of the Japanese pirates as they made their advance; that way you had the antagonist angle covered. Other than that, all other perspectives could have been disregarded and achieved the same goal.

Now to the part that truly makes a martial arts movie: the fighting. Here is where I was most impressed. The fight scenes were some of the best choreographed battles I’ve seen in a while. As I mentioned before, they were a bit animated in some area specifically in regards to blood spatter and sound effects. Disregarding that, the fights were realistic even when it was one man versus ten. The way the battle unfolded with attacks and counterattacks was completely believable. Wire work was utilized at times but nothing over the top such as soaring forty to fifty feet off the ground in order to land on rooftop. I have no complaints when it comes to the fighting; it was the most enjoyable portion of the experience.

This may well be the first film that I’ve seen where the police were actively aiding someone seeking revenge for the death of a loved one. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a foreign concept; however, in my experience police participation is usually comes about towards the conclusion of the story. In the case of Zero Tolerance, an officer signs on to help from the very beginning knowing full well how things are going to end. The fresh perspective on the situation was enjoyable; however, it did not fully compensate for how the story unraveled. Peter, a twenty-year veteran police officer is called to the scene of a homicide, a woman found naked and bound in a body of water.  A sex crimes detective, Peter is hardened against such crimes; such is a prerequisite to survive. His exterior is cracked when he recognizes the victim as the daughter of an old friend.  Knowing the repercussions of what is likely to happen when the father finds out, Peter seeks out Johnny to deliver the news personally.

In an effort to get ahead of the situation, Peter offers to allow Johnny to be a part of the investigation in hopes of preventing unnecessary bloodshed. With the understanding that Johnny will exact revenge on those responsible for his daughter’s death, Johnny agrees to the terms. However, the situation quickly spirals out of Peter’s control as Johnny is not a restrained in delivering justice as Peter had hoped.