In our experience, almost everything ends in death.”

Given its morbid-sounding title, I suppose you can also say that in the case of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, things *start* in death as well. The inevitability of death — a notion that is simultaneously profound and crushingly simple — is one of several big picture ideas explored by the small potatoes title characters. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, now making its Blu-ray debut, is equal parts brilliant and befuddling. But as thought-provoking and exhilarating (and funny!) as the exchanges are, I'm not entirely sure this material was meant to be presented as a movie.

"Welcome to Benghazi."

It shouldn't matter what your politics might be. The events in Benghazi on September 11th, 2012 bring up some very important questions. Contrary to one 2016 presidential hopeful's declaration, it does make a difference. It did to the people who were there. It does for the families of the four who lost their lives. And it should make a difference to you. With such a political hotbed issue, you'll find that 13 Hours goes out of its way to avoid the political questions. Some might view this as an oversight, but I think it gives the film a greater sense of credibility and makes its impact on the audience to fill in their own political blanks.

- “After all your posturing, all your little speeches, you're nothing but a common thief.”

- “I am an exceptional thief…”

In 2012 Sinister had its release and horror fans seemed to be divided on the film.  For me, I dug the mythology of Bughuul, an evil spirit who appears in 8mm family films that seem to always end in some new gruesome way.  He’s a character the horror genre needs, as I see him as a silent hybrid of Jigsaw (from the Saw franchise) and Freddy Krueger (from the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), where he’s a killer who gives us unique kills in some unsettling locations.  Now with the release of Sinister 2, do the filmmakers step up their game and deliver us more from the possible new icon of horror?  Sort of; just not how I would have expected it.

Following the events of the 2012 film, we find Deputy So & So (James Ransone) is no longer a deputy, but a private investigator who is obsessed with his pursuit of Bughuul and is doing his best to stop him before anymore families are killed.  So & So has managed to figure out the pattern that Bughuul uses and figures if he can destroy the next location before a family moves in, he may be able to save a family in the process.  Unfortunately, the home he plans on burning to the ground, a location that was previously the site of a horrific murder, is already inhabited.

The tale of Little Red Riding Hood, like many other children’s stories, is so well known and influential that it has been reimagined time and time again. In fact, one of my favorite short stories, The Company of Wolves, is a loose adaptation of the aforementioned tale. While I can’t call Little Dead Rotting Hood a favorite, I really appreciate how they were able to create a unique story while implicitly maintaining key elements of the original tale. More often than not the important visuals and motifs are present. Unfortunately, the pacing of the events is a little slow and really makes the film feel empty.

Little Dead Rotting Hood focuses on a small town that recently sees a surge in wolf attacks on its residents. The most recent attack on Samantha (Bianca A. Santos) transforms the young girl into a werewolf-like creature. Concerned for the residents being attacked under his watch, Sheriff Adam (Eric Balfour) enlists the help of Officer Victoria (Heather Tom), the town’s wildlife expert. Soon the two begin to suspect Becky (Amy Argyle), a local animal activist with a record of violent protests, to be linked to the recent attacks. As the story progresses, Sheriff Adam begins to learn of the town’s folklore involving a bigger threat than wolves.

Any time I get a double feature, the first thing that comes to mind is that these two movies don't know it, but they are now in competition with one another in my eyes. It was that way for Grindhouse as well as originals subsequent sequels. This time was no different in my eyes, and after screening both features there is a clear victor. Which one, you ask? Well, I'm not telling at this moment. (Don't worry, I will, but I can't just give it up that easy, because if I do, what assurance do I have that you will watch both films?) However, I'm sure my preference will become quite clear once you start reading.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, seems to be the principal lesson in The House Where Evil Dwells. A century earlier in Japan, a samurai comes home to find his wife in bed with her lover and in a fit of rage kills them both, taking his own life afterwards. Since then, the home remains vacant for decades due to speculation that the ghosts of that massacre remain in the house. The unsuspecting Fletcher family, new to Japan and refusing to let a ghost story keep them from an authentic home, move in.

Yak: The Giant King is a 2012 animated offering from Thailand. It is based on Ramakien, the country’s version of a famous Hindu epic poem. Neither of those facts is readily apparent in the packaging and presentation of The Giant King, an American adaptation that was recently released on DVD. On the one hand, it helps explain why the dialogue here hardly ever matches the characters’ lip movements. But knowing that this crude, chintzy offering is actually based on something rather substantial makes it even more of a letdown.

The movie is set in a world populated by robots and overseen by a spacebound/godlike entity called RAM (Remote Automated Motherbot). The imposing-looking Zork (voice of Russell Peters) is meant to be a violent battle bot, but his real dream is…to be a kindergarten teacher. Pinky (Bella Thorne) appears to be Zork’s polar opposite, a hard-charging pipsqueak obsessed with bringing Zork down for not obeying RAM.  An epic clash between Zork and Pinky ends with the odd couple chained to each other and wandering the barren planet.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. In 2016, that last sentence sounds like a spoiler-phobe’s worst nightmare. Fortunately, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is actually the title of Tom Stoppard’s existential, “sideways Shakespeare” comedy, which gets a 25th anniversary Blu-ray release this week courtesy of RLJ Entertainment. Speaking of RLJ, they’ll also be administering our Painkillers. (You can already check out our chat with star Colm Feore.) Hallmark pledges All of My Heart and nods to So You Said Yes. Finally, Shout! Factory scores a 10 with the Bo Derek double feature Bolero/Ghosts Can’t Do It.

We still want to give you more free stuff. Once a month we’re going to give away a surprise DVD title from our archives to a lucky winner who comments in our weekly Round-Up posts. All you have to do is comment in a Round-Up post — like this one! — and tell us which of the featured titles you’re most curious to read about. (Quick reminder: You're not telling us which title you'd like to win; your free DVD will be a surprise.)

"Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true? Did ancient aliens really help to shape our history? And if so, what if there were clues left behind, something hiding in plain sight? What if we could find that evidence?"

Ever since Eric von Daniken released his speculative book and its subsequent 1970 film Chariots of the Gods, there has been an entire field of study created around something commonly called Ancient Astronaut Theory, the idea is that extraterrestrials have visited many of our ancient civilizations. The theory continues that these visitors had a hand in shaping our development, whether it be through technology or even manipulation of our very DNA. These believers point to a world of evidence to support their claims. There are tons of images from earlier civilizations that could certainly be interpreted as depicting modern devices, concepts, or even spacemen. There is plenty of speculation that some of the knowledge and accomplishments of these peoples could not have been possible without some outside interference. There are even those who believe that aliens best explain our religious beliefs and that God himself was/is an extraterrestrial being. Whatever your own beliefs on the subject, there are certainly some fascinating points to be made. There is no question that the speculations and observations bring up some interesting queries that deserve our attention. This series attempts to document much of this evidence and the beliefs these findings have inspired.

Painkillers is the new fantasy/thriller out from RLJ Entertainment. Colm Feore stars as Dr. Troutman who is running a top secret operation that involves special ops specialists in Afghanistan a new brain drug and a secret artifact. This one will play with your head and I got to get inside the head of star Colm Feore last week. We talked about the film and his take on the character. I remember him best from HBO's Gary Sinese film Truman. We talked a little about that film, as well. It was a great conversation, to be sure. Bang it here to listen in on my chat with Colm Feore.