Gamertell

Yes it’s a big let down that Resident Evil 5 won’t be coming out this year along with all the other big games but we will still get our yearly Resident Evil fix. It won’t be a game this time around but instead the animated feature Resident Evil: Degeneration is coming to home video, guaranteeing we get our annual dose of RE creepiness all the same. Degeneration will be coming out on December 30, 2008 on Blu-ray, DVD and PSP.

Degeneration is a computer-generated movie that takes place seven years after Raccoon City was destroyed by the government. This time our zombie splattering heroes are trapped inside Harvardville airport when an outbreak of zombie madness…

MORE »

Title: Quark: The Complete Series
Price: $19.95
Release Date: September 2, 2008
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rating: Not Rated.
Pros: A relatively unknown sci fi parody TV series resurrected for home video for the first time. Hokey humor, cheesy Star Trek homages, blatant stereotyping and over-the-top acting make this so bad it’s funny.
Cons: Complete lack of extra features.
Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 80/100; B-; * * * out of five.

Yes, the name might be a bit confusing to some. This is not a desktop publishing application. This is not about subatomic particles. It is not even about a big-eared bartender from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Quark is, simply put, a disco parody of mid-‘70s sci fi that’s so bad, it’s good…

MORE »

While I’m in a BatMood, Waner Home Video today (September 26, 2008) announced that Dark Knight will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 9, 2008.

Since Dark Knight was partially shot using IMAX cameras, the Blu-Ray release will include IMAX and regular ol’ HD footage. Warner is going whole hog with the Blu-Ray and including BD-Live features which, according to the press release, “allows users with web-enabled Blu-ray players to access exciting additional content and connect and share with other BD-Live users…“

MORE »

Title: Bleach Uncut Season 2: The Entry box set
Price: $39.99 (Amazon) - $80.99 (Barnes & Noble)
Format: DVD
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Company: Viz Media
ESRB Rating: Unrated
Pros: Episodes 21-41 uncut, English and Japanese voice tracks, English subtitles, production art, mini-poster, Ichigo sticker
Cons: Only basic extra features
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 90/100, A-, **** 1/2 out of 5.

The second season of Bleach is arguably one of the best in the run of the series. While the first season,“The Substitute,“ sets up the story for viewers and acts as an origin tale for the hero that is Ichigo Kurosaki, the second season, “The Entry,“ gives viewers the opportunity to see what Ichigo is capable of and up against.

The best way to experience this, to understand the mechanics of the Soul Society and Soul Reapers, is to watch the uncut DVD box set in Japanese with English subtitles. Even though Viz Media has cast capable voice actors to give life to all of the characters, the introduction and personalities of the various Soul Reaper captains and vice captains are better captured by the original Japanese voice actors. Since Viz Media has also done a great job with translating for the subtitles, the DVD set is a joy to watch either way…

MORE »

If you’re a Joss Whedon fan who still hasn’t purchased Firefly, and you happen to own a PS3, you may want to wait until November 11, 2008. The full Firefly series (only 14 episodes), is going to be released on Blu-Ray for $89.98. The Blu-Ray release will include additional episode commentary by Whedon and some of the cast and will also include a Firefly Reunion discussion.

The Blu-Ray Firefly set will also come with some extra features that will entertain fans. There will be two extra Whedon snippets, where Whedon tours the show’s set and where he sings the Firefly theme. There will also be a special piece called “Serenity: The 10th Character”, deleted scenes from episodes, outtakes and Alan Tudyk’s audition.

MORE »

Title: Freakazoid! Season One DVD (aka Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid! Season One DVD)
Price: $22.95
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Publisher: Warner Bros. (Amblin Entertainment)
Pros: Wacky super-hero humor that stands up well to the internet generation. Great art, plenty of fun references, lots of classic homages and good transfer quality.
Cons: Not a lot of extras and still mis-marketed toward kids. A few very short segments have gritty transfers.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 90/100; A-; * * * * out of five.

Screw spiders, crazy experiments and crash landings. It’s the power of the internet, man.

Relatively early in the mass-appear years of the world wide web, a group of animators had the foresight to create a super hero endowed the with intelligence, mysterious powers and grand sarcasm of the internet.

Due to poor scheduling and being mistakenly marketed towards kids, Freakazoid!‘s quick wit and outrageous (and often incongruous) humor only lasted two seasons. Fortunately for us fans, the first season of the series has finally been released on DVD (two discs, one box) so you can enjoy it over and over and over and again and over again until, of course, you completely freak out. In a good way…

MORE »

Title: Bleach Uncut Season 1: The Substitute box set
Price: $27.99 (Amazon) - $44.99 (Barnes & Noble)
Format: DVD
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Company: Viz Media
ESRB Rating: Unrated
Pros: 20 unrated episodes of Bleach, Japanese and English voice acting, free double-sided poster and a free Bleach trading card.
Cons: Not that many bonus features in addition to the 20 episodes.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up, 95/100, A, **** 1/2 out of 5.

Bleach is a far reaching animated series that tends to go beyond “kill this week’s bad guy.“ It features identifiable characters, sometimes intellectual situations, mysterious story-lines that can’t be solved in one season and other concepts that many action animes don’t cover.

The first season of Bleach, referred to as “The Substitute,“ is really essential viewing for anyone who wishes to really follow the show. Other seasons may have more intrigue, more comedic moments and more characters, but the first season prepares a solid foundation for future episodes. Viz Media did an admirable job with the voice casting, translating and DVD presentation…

MORE »

Title: Gamers (aka Gamers: The Movie)
Price: $24.95 (DVD)
Release Date: May 6, 2008
Distributer: Monterey Media, Inc.
Rating: Unrated
Pros: A good mix of both subtle and outrageous humor with engaging characters. Surprisingly well made and funny or an indie film produced in six days.
Cons: Starts a little sluggish and goes a little odd with a couple gags.
Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 90/100; A-; * * * * out of five

Screw the lame-ass box art. Gamers is a great indie flick that will make anyone who has ever rolled something other than a 6-sided die snarf milk all over their mother’s teak coffee table.

Click through for the full review…

MORE »

Title: Don Bluth Presents Space Ace
Price: $39.95
System(s): Blu-ray Disc player (eg. PS3)
Release Date: April 8, 2008
Publisher (Developer): Digital Leisure, Inc. (Bluth Group, Ltd.)
No. Players: 1
ESRB Rating: N/A
Pros: Amazingly clear and beautifully restored video, interesting interviews and the ability to watch the entire game as a short (although a bit spastic) film.
Cons: The game remains impossibly difficult to play and extras are a bit meager for the retail price.
Rating(s): One thumb up, one down; 75/100; C; **1/2 out of 5.

MORE »

Title: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Price:$27.95
Genre(s): Documentary
Release Date: January 29, 2008
Publisher(s): NewLine, Picturehouse
Rating: PG-13
Pros: A quirky, funny and often dramatic look into the world of classic arcade competitions and the quest to keep and/or conquer Donkey Kong. A movie even non-gamers will love.
Cons: The idiotic second commentary track.
Score: 9.5/10

Click through for a full review of the DVD…

MORE »