THE EPITAPH VOL. 16 - MILL CREEK MANIA EDITION!
ANACONDA (1997) - JURY DUTY (1995) - OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS (1990) - EXCESS BAGGAGE (1997) - DOUBLE TEAM (1997) - BECOMING EVIL: SERIAL KILLERS (2019) - A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS THE STORY OF ALADDIN: 8 MAGICAL TALES - THE SHIELD: THE COMPLETE SERIES (2002-2008)
ANACONDA (1997)
Region Code: A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (No Subtitles)
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1)
Director: Luis Lllosa
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz, Owen Wilson, Danny Trejo
First up is Anaconda (1997) starring the multi-talented looker Jennifer Lopez (The Cell) and rapper turned actor Ice Cube (Friday) as part of a documentary film crew in search of a lost Amazon tribe, along the way teaming-up with an unscrupulous jungle guide played by Jon Voight (The Train), running afoul of a giant anaconda that's out for blood. I remember seeing the trailers for this one when it was coming into the cinemas and thinking that looks like a ripe pile of bad-CGI shit... well, I wouldn't say I was wrong about that, The poor late-90's digital FX peppered throughout this film certainly don't help this hair-brained serpentine action/adventure romp, but I won't deny that it has a pulpy b-movie charm, as long as you're willing to give into it's eye-rolling unintentional self-parody. The film is presented in lackluster 1080p 2.40:1 widescreen, looking like a manipulated older HD master and only give a compressed Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix with no subtitles and no extras. Sure, it's an eye-rolling groaner but it definitely has some bad-cinema charms for the lovers of big-budget duds.
Region Code: A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 88 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: John Fortenberry
Cast: Pauly Shore, Tia Carrere, Stanley Tucci, Brian Doyle-Murray, Abe Vigoda, Charles Napier
Even as a teen in the 90'as I found the antics of Pauly Shore hard to swallow, I'd rate Encino man (1992) as the film of his I hate the least. This corny courtroom-comedy is about a unemployed freeloader named Tommy Collins, who after finding himself temporarily homeless, manages to weasel his way into jury duty on the sensational murder trial of accused "Drive-Thru Killer" Carl Wayne Bishop (Sean Whalen, The People Under The Stairs). Having arrived in the cinema the same year as the O.J. Simpson murder trail verdict the film somehow manages to mine that true-crime sadness for some comedy scrapings. I imagine that if you're a Pauly Shore fan you probably already love this silly thing, but for me it was the bit-players that appear throughout the film that kept be plugged in, with appearances from Tia Carrere, Stanley Tucci, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Abe Vigoda among others. There's a steady parade of walk-ons and supporting roles that tickled by funny bone quite a bit, even if I find Shore rather annoying, but I guess that was all part of his shtick. Framed in 1.85:1 widescreen and benefiting from an uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo mix with optional subtitles. The film looks good on Blu-ray, looking relatively blemish free and reasonably sharp with modestly detail. There are no disc extras on this one, but as part of MCE's I Love the 90s/Retro VHS titles it comes with a retro-looking slipcover with an alternate artwork on the sleeve.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS (1990)
Region Code: A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 102 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Donald Petrie
Cast: Dana Carvey, Robert Loggia, Julia Campbell, Todd Graff, Milo O'Shea, James Tolkan
In Opportunity Knocks (1990) SNL alum Dana Carvey (Wayne's World) plays small-time con man Eddie Farrell who while running a scan pretending to work for the electric company find themselves in the home of a man who is out of town for an extended period. Taking advantage of the situation he takes up residence in the home where he is discovered by the parents of the vacationing man, but he is mistaken for a friend of their son's, managing to take on a lucrative position with the father's company and falling in love with his doctor daughter Annie (Julia Campbell) The film plays out pretty much as you would expect from there with his crime-riddled past coming back to haunt him, exposing his true identity Dana Carvey does good work in the lead here, a funny if formulaic film The film debuts on Blu-ray with a 1080p HD transfer framed in 1.85:1 widescreen, looking solid if a bit soft in places. We also get an uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.- stereo track with optional English subtitles, plus a 27-min of deleted scenes and a 2-min trailer. This is part of MCE's I Love the 90s/Retro VHS titles, coming with a retro-looking slipcover with an alternate artwork on the sleeve.
Special Features:
- Deleted Scenes (27 min)
EXCESS BAGGAGE (1997)
Region Code: A
Rating: PG-13
Duration: 101 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Marco Brambilla
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, Christopher Walken, Jack Thompson, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Turturro
Spoiled but neglected rich-kid Emily Hope (Alicia Silverstone) stages her own kidnapping to get her father's attention, but a quirky car thief (Benecio Del Toro) throws a wrench into the ransom works when he steals the car she's locked herself in the trunk of, igniting a half-baked kidnap-comedy that while entertaining is very forgettable, but at least stars Christopher Walken (The Prophecy) as the girl's threatening uncle who is assigned to track her down, and he always makes these forgettable films at least a bit forgivable, not awful, but a very middling 90's romantic thriller. The film debuts on Blu-ray framed in 1080p HD framed in 1.851 widescreen, given only a compressed Dolby Digital 5.1 track with optional English subtitles and no extras. The presentation looks okay, this is obviously an older HD master marked by artifacting, but at least the colors look solid throughout. As part of MCE's I Love the 90s/Retro VHS series this release comes with a retro-looking slipcover with an alternate artwork on the sleeve.
DOUBLE TEAM (1997)
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 93 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Tsui Hark
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Rodman, Paul Freeman, Mickey Rourke
Double Team (1997) is a very strange spy/action offering from 'the 90's teaming-up the waning action-film star Jean-Claude Van Damme (Double Impact) with flamboyant basketball star Dennis Rodman, at time bafflingly showcasing the multi-colored hair talents of Rodman more than Van Damme. The kick-boxing bad-ass Van Damme obviously gets in some cool kicks and leg-stretches, while Rodman spouts of basketball themed one-liners that are beyond groan-worthy. The action comes at a steady clip however and it's never slows down enough to be intelligible or dull, but stay with it right up until the end, the showdown with baddie Mickey Rourke inside an explosives-rigged Roman amphitheater is worth the wait... oh, and Van Damme battles a fucking tiger! The film arrives on Blu-ray framed in 2.35:1 widescreen in 1080p HD. It's another older master that has it's share of unsightly artifcating and other compression issues throughout, plus we get a unremarkable - but at least uncompressed - English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo mix with optional English subtitles. No extras but this is one of the I Love the 90s/Retro VHS releases with a retro-looking slipcover with an alternate artwork on the sleeve.
BECOMING EVIL: SERIAL KILLERS (2019)
Region Code: 1
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 388 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Becoming Evil: Serial Killers is a 7-part documentary series profiling some of history’s most notorious killers, covering the "classics" like John Wayne Gacy, David Berkowitz, Richard Ramirez, Aileen Wuornos, Jeffrey Dahmer, Andrew Cunanan, and Ted Bundy but also touching on the more obscure The Axeman of New Orleans and the very current case of The Golden State Killer. It's a bit dry but well-made, each episode not focusing on a particular killer but on a topic, like victims and media, lady serial killers, the first wave and new wave, mixed with footage, stills and interviews with experts knowledgeable about serial killers. It's a solid true-crime series, not the most flashy or well put together in my opinion, but I found it macabre entertainment. The 7-episodes are spread out over 2 DVDs, framed in 1.78:1 widescreen with English Dolby Digital audio, with optional English subtitles, no extras.
A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS: THE STORY OF ALADDIN - 8 MAGICAL TALES Region Code: 1
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 388 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: Full Frame & Anamorphic Widescreen
Director: Alfred E. Green, Jack Kinney, Lew Anders, Steve Barron
Cast: Cornel Wilde, Evelyn Keyes, Phil Silvers, Jim Backus, Hans Conried, Lucille Ball, John Agar, Barry Bostwick, Susan Egan, Alan Bates, John Leguizamo, Doughray Scott, Rufus Sewell
Just in time to ride on the coattails of Disney's live-action re-imagining of their 90's animated classic MCE have a 2-disc set stories based on Aladdin beginning with the satirical A Thousand and One Nights (1945), a strange bit of farce with lavish sets, but it was just not my cup of tea. Next is the animated film 1001 Arabian Nights(1959), a retelling of the classic tale through the severely near-sighted eyes of the aging Mr. Magoo It's a fun romp but I don't think it will hold the same sway over a younger audience who didn't grow up with reruns of the vintage cartoon, and the minimalist
animation also won't hold sway over Disney kids. Fans of Lucille Ball will certainly want to take a ride on The Magic Carpet (1951), also starring Raymond Burr and John Agar (The Mole People). There's a bit of swashbuckling and magic carpet theatrics but this one falls fairly flat. Also on the set are a pair of made-for-TV adaptations, both I found rather bland, we have TV mini-series Arabian Nights (2000) and a TV musical adaptation Aladdin (1990), neither of which I could bare to finish. The 2-disc is buttoned up with a trio of vintage cartoon shorts, the nearly unbearable Aladdin (Melo-O-Toon)(1960) and Mr. Piper and the Story of Ali Baba (1963), and the more watchable Popeye Meets Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1939).
THE SHIELD - THE COMPLETE SERIES (2002-2008)
Region Code: 1
Rating: TVMA
Duration: 4223 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
Cast: Michael Chiklis, Catherine Dent, Walton Goggins, Michael Jace, Jay Karnes, Benito Martinez, CCH Pounder, Cathy Cahlin Ryan
Gritty L.A. crime drama The Shield which ran for seven seasons arrives on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment on an 18-disc set presenting the film in anamorphic widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The potent cop series follows Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) and his Strike Team as they wage war on corruption in their neighborhood, often time bending the rules and blurring the lines between right and wrong. This is not a show I watched during its initial run, in fact I am just into season one so far and the FX show was dark, gritty and unsavory, so yeah, I am sort of kicking myself for not partaking earlier. The series looks great in DVD - a Blu-ray set is also available from MCE - and it's packed with extras including a wealth of behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentaries, deleted scenes and⇉ make this a damn definitive set. So far I am having a blast discovering the show, highly recommended for you TV bingers out there, this is binge-worthy stuff.
