Disc Reviews

In 1998 following the release of Roland Emmerich’s version of Godzilla, the story would continue following some of the characters that we met in the film as well as a host of other characters and monsters.  With a 40-episode run coming out to about 14 hours of television, the DVD release of the series comes out at just the right time for those who need a temporary fix before seeing their favorite big green lizard splash across the big screen once again.

I love just about any story that involves giant robots or monsters fighting.  Even the ‘98 film version of Godzilla had its moments of charm.  What the series brings to viewers (though its target audience is younger than most of the adult fans) is the possibility of what Godzilla could be had the story simply continued on.  The series picks up not long after the events in New York, when Nick Tatopoulos (voiced by Ian Ziering) discovers an adolescent Godzilla that forms an attachment to Nick.  This attachment allows Nick control over the giant lizard and it also becomes Nick’s protector whenever he finds himself in trouble and in need of aid (which is at least forty times going by the episode count).

Martial arts films are just about as done to death as the slasher film.  Just about every angle and direction that you can take with these films has been explored by now.  When it comes to the martial arts genre, seeing a student or son avenge their father or master is just about the motivation in most of these films, but audiences accept this  because what we are sitting down for is the action.  Seriously, how many people remember the plots of the old Jackie Chan or Jet Li films?  But go back even further to the core classics like The 36^th Chamber of Shaolin or Five Deadly Venoms; these films are all rooted in the spirit of revenge. 

As for where Warrior Assassin falls, well, it is far from a classic, though it tries so hard to follow in the footsteps of the great films of the past but instead simply comes off looking like someone doing a Shaw Brother cos-play with their VHS camera.

With all the zombie media out there have you ever thought what you would do if you found yourself in the middle of the zombie apocalypse?  It’s fun to discuss your plans for survival and clever weapons you may devise to battle the hordes of the undead.  But what would you do if a loved one was infected and became one of the undead? Would you be able to simply put them down so easily?  Or would you tend to them with the hope that somehow they could return and not be the flesh-eating monstrosity they’ve come to be?  About A Zombie takes a faux-documentary approach and captures a family that has been struck with the dilemma and has decided to take in and nurture their zombiefied kin despite all the dangers that come along with it.

An American documentary film crew gets word about a Dublin family whose son Billy is infected during a zombie outbreak taking place in Ireland.  The film crew rushes over and begins filming as the situation seems only to escalate.  The people of the town seem to all be in agreement, that Billy should be killed right along with all the other zombies.

Who doesn’t have a soft spot in their heart, if not their DVD collection, for the denizens of Mayberry? They've been with many of us our entire lives. For most of America, The Andy Griffith Show has become the template for any small rural town. The characters stand as prerequisite citizens in any said town. The town drunk, the local barber, the motherly little old lady, and the corner mechanic all look like Otis, Floyd, Aunt Bee, and Goober to most of us now. Griffith himself brought fine qualities to his role of Sheriff Andy Taylor, but this isn't the Mayberry we're talking about. The show ran from 1960 until 1968 when it was still one of the highest rated shows in television history. With almost 250 episodes in the can, it was finally enough for the show's star Andy Griffith. He was ready to turn in his keys and badge and look for something new and interesting to do. CBS, however, was not ready to leave the town of Mayberry. So without its original titular star, Mayberry RFD entered the television landscape in 1968.

Griffith still had a warm feeling for the show and his co-stars, so he agreed to do the first episode of the new series. He was also still the official sheriff and would appear from time to time. The show's new format had already been introduced with the series finale of The Andy Griffith Show. The pilot would be his long-awaited wedding to long-time girl Helen. Even Don Knotts, who had left the series earlier, returned to wish the happy couple well and get Mayberry RFD off to a swinging start. The pilot would also introduce Andy's replacement. Star and head of the Mayberry City Council would be Ken Berry, who would later gain attention as naive Vint on Mama's Family. He played Sam Jones, who also had a young son named Mike. There was an obvious attempt to copy the father-and-son atmosphere between Andy and Opie. The show's opening would have them playing ball in the front yard enjoying father and son time as the original pair did fishing.