Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I Sell the Dead

  • I SELL THE DEAD (DVD MOVIE)
Ein! Zwei! Die!
Get ready for the film that shocked Sundance, rocked Europe and knocked American horror fans out of their seats: When a group of medical students take a sex-and-booze-fueled ski vacation to a remote cabin in the Norwegian Alps, they uncover a dark secret from WWII that resurrects a battalion of uncontrollable, unstoppable and extremely undead Nazis. What follows is a blitzkrieg of bloodshed, body parts and action-packed zombie carnage that The New York Observer hails as relentless thrills, unimaginable horrors and a shock ending guaranteed to make you scream out loud! Writer/director Tommy Wirkola spares no amount of flesh-chomping, intestine-ripping, and chainsaw-slicing to deliver perhaps the finest Nazi Zombie movie of our time and one of the most ferocious, outrageous and over-the-top horror hits of the year!Let us begin with two words: "Nazi! zombies." Let us add two more: "Hitler's gold." Yes, it's true. These are the elements of Dead Snow, a Norwegian horror picture that unleashes an undead blitzkrieg across an otherwise inviting winter landscape. The five vacationing med students who have blundered into this backcountry in search of fun have no idea that their actions will draw the attention of the aforesaid zombies of the Third Reich (what these reanimated corpses are doing in the mountains of Norway will be explained in good time). It would be nice to report that Dead Snow lives up to the outrageousness of its concept, but far too much of this thing is taken up with standard-issue slasher tropes: self-conscious dialogue about the plot's resemblance to an Evil Dead scenario, gross-out moments for their own sake (a sequence in an outhouse is especially regrettable), and decidedly uneven acting. The movie earns a few points for a grabby nighttime opening sequence and its unhealthy devotio! n to the art of entrails stretching (which, when it comes to p! eople ha nging off snowy cliffs, can have practical applications you probably never even thought about). The enthusiastic mayhem can't be denied, so if a sheer body count is your yardstick, Dead Snow comes across. But given the proximity of Nazi gold and the possibilities suggested by Hitler's minions returning from their snowy graves, this movie disappoints. --Robert HortonEin! Zwei! Die!
Get ready for the film that shocked Sundance, rocked Europe and knocked American horror fans out of their seats: When a group of medical students take a sex-and-booze-fueled ski vacation to a remote cabin in the Norwegian Alps, they uncover a dark secret from WWII that resurrects a battalion of uncontrollable, unstoppable and extremely undead Nazis. What follows is a blitzkrieg of bloodshed, body parts and action-packed zombie carnage that The New York Observer hails as relentless thrills, unimaginable horrors and a shock ending guaranteed to make you scream out loud! Writer/direct! or Tommy Wirkola spares no amount of flesh-chomping, intestine-ripping, and chainsaw-slicing to deliver perhaps the finest Nazi Zombie movie of our time and one of the most ferocious, outrageous and over-the-top horror hits of the year!Let us begin with two words: "Nazi zombies." Let us add two more: "Hitler's gold." Yes, it's true. These are the elements of Dead Snow, a Norwegian horror picture that unleashes an undead blitzkrieg across an otherwise inviting winter landscape. The five vacationing med students who have blundered into this backcountry in search of fun have no idea that their actions will draw the attention of the aforesaid zombies of the Third Reich (what these reanimated corpses are doing in the mountains of Norway will be explained in good time). It would be nice to report that Dead Snow lives up to the outrageousness of its concept, but far too much of this thing is taken up with standard-issue slasher tropes: self-conscious dialogue about t! he plot's resemblance to an Evil Dead scenario, gross-o! ut momen ts for their own sake (a sequence in an outhouse is especially regrettable), and decidedly uneven acting. The movie earns a few points for a grabby nighttime opening sequence and its unhealthy devotion to the art of entrails stretching (which, when it comes to people hanging off snowy cliffs, can have practical applications you probably never even thought about). The enthusiastic mayhem can't be denied, so if a sheer body count is your yardstick, Dead Snow comes across. But given the proximity of Nazi gold and the possibilities suggested by Hitler's minions returning from their snowy graves, this movie disappoints. --Robert HortonNever Trust A Corpse
It was a time of ghouls, ghosts and most ghastly of all, the fine art of grave robbing. Dominic Monaghan of LORD OF THE RINGS and LOST stars as 19th century corpse snatcher Arthur Blake, who pilfered the cemeteries and coffins of England until his capture by police. But just before Blake is to meet the hangman s! noose, he will confess to a peculiar priest (Ron Perlman of HELLBOY and SONS OF ANARCHY) his gruesome tale of vampires, zombies and cadaver dealing that takes him from the savagery of the criminal underworld to the terrors of the undead. Producer Larry Fessenden (WENDIGO, THE LAST WINTER) and Angus Scrimm (PHANTASM) co-star in this deliriously grisly and hilarious homage to foggy graveyards, bloody mayhem and the golden age gothic horror.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed

  • DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, THE (DVD MOVIE)
On a suburban street, two masked men seize a young woman. They bind and gag her and take her to an abandoned, soundproofed apartment. She is Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), daughter of a millionaire. Her kidnappers, the coldly efficient Vic (Eddie Marsan) and his younger accomplice Danny (Martin Compston), have worked out a meticulous plan. But Alice is not going to play the perfect victim â€" she’s not giving in without a fight. In a tense power-play of greed, duplicity and survival we discover that sometimes disappearances can be deceptive…The British thriller The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a taut exercise in psychological manipulation, driven by three forceful performances, most notably actress Gemma Arteton (Clash of the Titans) as the titular abductee. On the surface, Disappearance seems to be cut from familiar ! cloth: ex-cons Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes) and Martin Compston plot out and then execute the kidnapping of Arteton, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, for a sizable ransom. But as the minutes tick by in their dreary holding cell of a flat, relationships develop in unexpected ways, as do shifts in allegiances and motivations. To reveal these seismic changes would be to unleash spoilers of epic proportions, but suffice it to say that few will have expected the film's frenzied conclusion. Directed by first-timer J Blakeson with an eye towards pacing and atmosphere, The Disappearance of Alice Creed should please fans of adult suspense pictures with its smart scripting (by Blakeson) and fearless turns by its cast, especially Arteton in a role that requires her to play, by turns, victim and perpetrator; the DVD includes commentary by Blakeson, who discusses his influences (among them, Alien, interestingly enough), as well as two extended scenes with co! mmentary and a collection of comic outtakes. A five-minute sto! ryboard comparison, which shows preproduction sketches of the opening alongside the finished product, and the stateside trailer round out the extras. --Paul Gaita

Ace Ventura Deluxe Double Feature (Pet Detective / When Nature Calls)

  • Actors: Jim Carrey, Courteney Cox, Sean Young, Tone Loc, Dan Marino.
  • Format: Widescreen, DVD, NTSC.
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS 5.1). Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
  • Rated PG-13. Run Time: 250 minutes.
Allllll righty then. Let's get to it. As Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Jim Carrey instantly soared to stardom while tearing decorum to pieces. The award-winning actor plays the screwloose sleuth determined to sniff out the Miami Dolphins' missing mascot and quarterback Dan Marino. Jim Carrey returns in Ace Ventura When Nature Calls as the alligator-wrasslin,' elephant-calling, monkeyshining, loogie-launching, burning coals-crossing, disguise-mastering pet detective. Includes a bonus DVD with specially selected cartoons from the hit TV show Ace Ventura The Animated Series.

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Tom Shadyac
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spot
Theatrical Trailer

The Ace Ventura Deluxe Double Feature offers both Pet Detective and When Nature Calls in anamorphic widescreen with soundtracks in Dolby 5.1 and (not indicated on the packaging) DTS. The original DVD of Pet Detective was full-screen (1.33 aspect ratio) only, though it had a scene with Ace masquerading as Hans Kissvelvet, the dolphin trainer, that was dropped from the theatrical release. The deluxe edition is missing this scene. The deluxe edition also has a third disc with three episodes (about 70 minutes total) from the 1995-96 Ace Ventura animated series with Michael Hall as the voice of Ace. --David Horiuchi

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the 1994 box-office hit that turned comedy maniac Jim Carrey into Hollywood's first $20-million man. This gag-filled! no-brainer stars Carrey as the titular rubber-faced gumshoe w! ho track s down lost pets for his heartbroken clients. Ace's latest case involves the apparent kidnapping of the Miami Dolphins' team mascot, Snowflake the dolphin (natch), and his investigation is a source of constant irritation for Miami police lieutenant Lois Einhorn (Sean Young). Friends fans will appreciate the presence of Courtney Cox, who remains admirably straight-faced as the Dolphins' publicist and Ace's would-be girlfriend, but of course it's Carrey who steals the show with shameless abandon. --Jeff Shannon

In When Nature Calls, the inevitable sequel, the disappearance of a rare African white bat, draws Ace (Carrey again) out of his spiritual retreat at a Tibetan monastery following the tragic outcome of his previous case. That traumatic experience, which makes for a hilarious opening-scene send-up of the Stallone thriller Cliffhanger, prompts Ace to venture to Africa, where he goes native with the tribe that hired him to find their symbolic! bat. From that point anything goes, with Carrey pushing the boundaries of good taste (what, you were expecting good taste?) up to and including his now-infamous "birth" scene from the backside of a mechanical rhinoceros. Lighten up, and don't be ashamed if you find yourself laughing. --Jeff Shannon