Vivendi Entertainment

Iron Man Armored Adventures: Season 2 Volume 1

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on June 22nd, 2012

As mentioned previously in my reviews, Iron Man in animated form does not have the greatest track record. I remember watching the Iron Man animated film not too long ago (check here for a small review: http://upcomingdiscs.com/2012/04/29/marvel-animated-features-3-movie-collection-blu-ray/) and just thinking that it never even got close to the awesomeness that is the live action films with Robert Downey Jr. Today, we get to review some episodes of Iron Man Armored Adventures. Hopefully the series improves from last season.
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Infernal Affairs (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by M. W. Phillips on November 13th, 2011

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“What thousands must die, so that Caesar may become great.”

When Hong Kong released Infernal Affairs in 2002, it pretty much revived the Asian gangster genre and proved the inspiration for Martin Scorsese’s Best Director Academy Award winner, The Departed. I saw The Departed before I watched Infernal Affairs and, now seeing it, must say I prefer Scorsese’s Boston noir re-envisioning of the film more than the original. I realize this goes against the hardcore fans and critics of the film, but it doesn’t take anything away from the hardboiled crime sensation directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak created.
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Tactical Force (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on August 10th, 2011

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Though others might not share my same vision, I have had my share of serious cop movies and television shows. Every time I turn on the television, it seems like everybody wants authentic police work in the form of crime scene investigation, special victims unit, and even a SWAT team or two. Even though this has spawned a few excellent shows like Flashpoint and the Shield, I wished for something lighter. Enter the direct to disc film, Tactical Force.
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Christmas in Canaan

Posted in Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on November 1st, 2010

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Two young boys start a rivalry that is forged into a friendship by way of helping an ailing dog. As one boy’s caregiver passes away, the other boy’s family takes him on as one of their own. This family struggles through tough times on their farm as well as tensions from bigoted neighbours because the boy they took into their home happens to be black. Such is the “family bond” thesis of this highly sentimental Xmas film, co-authored by Country superstar Kenny Rogers, and starring country star turned famous dad, Billy Ray Cyrus.
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The Diplomat (Blu-ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 25th, 2010

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It was hard for me to find any real solid information about The Diplomat. At first I decided that it was because the film was obviously not a movie at all, but a British mini-series. The piece is broken up into two parts that you must play separately, much like a mini-series is often presented when released on home video. That was still not enough to research the title, because it hadn’t really been a mini-series at all either. Finally, a stroke of luck led me to the fact that The Diplomat hadn’t been its original name either.
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Riverworld

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 1st, 2010

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Fans of classic science fiction know very well who Philip Jose Farmer is. Chances are you have read one of his many Riverworld novels going back to the early 1970’s. It’s absolutely required reading for any fan of the genre. When you think of those classic book series, this one stands right up there with Asimov’s Foundation books or Frank Herbert’s Dune series. I’ve only read the first novel, but remember it still. It’s an enchanting world that I always meant to return to one day. That day hadn’t yet come by the time I received this DVD release of SYFY’s latest take on the work. I’m sad to say that even after watching this 3 hour mini-series, that day still hasn’t come.
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Hard Ride to Hell

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 14th, 2010

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Reading the synopsis on the back of the dvd case for Hard Ride to Hell, I was immediately struck by its similarity to the 1975 film Race With The Devil. A group of vacationers in an RV accidentally witness a satanic ritual out in the boonies and, after inevitably being spotted doing so, are set upon by the Satanists and must fight for their lives in a cross-country chase. As it turns out, the similarities are pretty much all cosmetic.
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Iron Man Armored Adventures: The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 13th, 2010

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Many of you probably read my review for Iron Man 1994 Animated Adventures on DVD earlier this week. In that review, I told a story of two very different seasons of Iron Man. Well, Iron Man Armored Adventures is even more different because it deals with Tony Stark as a teenager. There is no telling whether this teenage Tony will be like a younger version of the suave and sophisticated playboy or play out like a mechanized version of Peter Parker from the most recent Spectacular Spider-Man show.
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High Plains Invaders

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 14th, 2010

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The SyFy Channel has been making original films for quite a few years. Unfortunately, they’ve mostly been known for their quite bad computer-generated f/x and rather silly plots and stories. It says quite a lot to me that I’m such a huge horror/science fiction fan but have never found one of these original movies to be even remotely good. Instead, I’ve found myself wincing with each new ridiculous script and every unimaginable lame creature the series has presented. The Maneater Series has been as guilty as any of the themed series in their efforts.
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Hurricane Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on April 8th, 2010

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Coach Al Collins sets out to not only assemble a high school basketball team, but to rebuild their gym lost in hurricane Katrina, salvage his home, help each player find hope in their lives as family and property is lost in the storm, and turn them into a championship winning squad. Had this story been fiction, it would seem outrageous, but Hurricane Season is based on an actual man and his real life journey from complete decimation thanks to Katrina, to Coach of champions.
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Carny

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 27th, 2010

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When people reminisce about the great match-ups of all time, talk will inevitably hone in on Ali vs. Frazier, Tunney vs. Dempsey, or, for boxing non-enthusiasts, Eckersley vs. Gibson. For film fans, talk will likely drift to Godzilla vs. Mothra, McClane vs. Gruber, or even Feddy vs. Jason. Well folks, a new movie has thrown its hat into the ring, and it is called Carny. What potentially legendary match-up does Carny feature, you ask? Why, nothing less than Lou Diamond Phillips vs. the Jersey Devil. Will these two foes unseat any of the classic brawlers mentioned above? Read on and see.
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Phantom Racer

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 10th, 2010

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Possessed machines are long-standing horror staples: Christine, The Car, Maximum Overdrive, etc. It’s easy to understand why. Imagine driving down the road in your comfortable four-door sedan when your seatbelt suddenly tightens around your chest and crushes you to death. Now, obviously, that wouldn’t happen in the real world, nor would a thin car window have enough force to decapitate someone. Regardless, these are the kind of things you can expect
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New York, I Love You (Blu-Ray)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 17th, 2010

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Recently, I got married to the most wonderful woman in the world. Well, the most wonderful woman I ever met anyhow. Her name is Sarah. Then I got to thinking, wouldn’t it be awesome if I included her every once in a while in my reviews? She’s very opinionated but she speaks from the heart. When our webmaster sent me New York, I Love You, I knew it was the perfect vehicle to introduce her to a mass audience.
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Tennessee

Posted in Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on February 8th, 2010

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Recently, my parents moved to Tennessee in their attempt to enjoy retirement. We actually lived there about six months when I was in the 8th grade. So, apparently there was something in the water that made them want to go back. After the movie Glitter, I never wanted to see anything with Mariah Carey that involved anything where she actually had to speak. For some reason, I also came back to Tennessee.
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