Puppet Master 4: When Bad Puppets Turn Good (1993) [Blu-ray]

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

As we saw from the chronological mythology that unfolded in the first half of the “Puppet Master” series, the puppets owned by Toulon were once kind and heroic. The puppets were the products of a man kind at heart, whose own lust for vengeance and hatred for the Nazis turned him evil. And in effect, he transformed his puppets in to evil beings that did his bidding. Toulon was once a nice man, and evil transformed him in to the villain we eventually met in “Puppet Master 2.” The third film, which is my favorite by far, features the origin of the puppets and how they were just beings living and doing their own thing until they found an inherent purpose in snuffing out the ugliness in humanity.

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Peanuts: EMMY Honored Collection (DVD)

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

While the rest of America is celebrating the resurgence of the Peanuts with “The Peanuts Movie,” those that want an education in to the appeal of the series can pick up Warner’s latest release. While the holiday series from the Peanuts are typically timeless and quite iconic, the Peanuts has also earned themselves plenty of Emmy nominations and a few wins with some non-holiday themed Charlie Brown specials that are also quite good in their own right. Warner releases over four hours of Charlie Brown specials on a two DVD set that is so worth the pick up. Especially if you’re a hardcore Peanuts fans like yours truly.

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Vacation (2015) [Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital]

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

“Vacation” is a reboot of the original National Lampoon’s series, but it’s not dedicated to reminding fans that it stems from a once beloved series. There are your typical nods, but through and through the new film is its own animal that strives for its own brand of sleazy comedy, and for that I respect it. It acts as a sequel, and virtual restart, while also allowing a platform for fans to go out and check out the original Chevy Chase films for some frame of reference. It’s not mandatory, however. I also enjoyed “Vacation” much more than I thought I would, speaking as someone who went in to it with rock bottom expectations; even if it tends to be something of a mixed bag right until the very end.

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Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

The good news is that “The Ghost Dimension,” the alleged final entry in the “Paranormal Activity” series answers most of the questions fans have had since the first film. The bad new is that “The Ghost Dimension” doesn’t answer all our questions. It actually glosses over the finer details in exchange for a broader explanation that conveniently misses out on telling us what a lot of the details meant. Like, what relevance did anything that happen in “The Marked Ones” have to the overall arc? Why didn’t Katie and Micah find out they were living next to a coven of witches? And why did Hunter suddenly go missing and get adopted by an unwitting family? Also, how did Katie find Hunter?

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Army of Darkness (1992): Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray]

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

Typical of Sam Raimi, his “Evil Dead” series managed to become so much more insane and wacky the more it progressed. If “Dead By Dawn” wasn’t an indicator that he’d embraced the overall sheer chaos and insanity of Ashley Williams battling demons from another dimension, “Army of Darkness” dives head first, transforming Ashley’s newest misadventure in to something of an action horror movie with a stern tongue in cheek. While Raimi does inject his share of humor, though, “Army of Darkness” retains its essence, never once reducing the concept of the series in to an embarrassment.

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The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1979)

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

I fondly remember renting “Meet Rockula and Frankenstone” quite often from our local videos store when I was a kid, and thankfully the movie genuinely holds up. Like all great comedy series, the Flintstones have had their share of crossovers, and this time they have the misfortune of meeting Dracula and Frankenstone. Or their stone age counterparts, as it were. While it’s not raucously funny as when Abbot and Costello met them, it’s a darn good short movie with the Flintstones doing what they do best.

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Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman (2000)

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

I guess there’s not much you can do when you cross a children’s cartoon series with a monster traditionally known for mauling people to death. That said, “Meet the Wolfman” is probably the weaker pairing in the Chipmunks animated movies, mainly because the writers don’t do much with Laurence Talbot and his ability to transform in to the wolfman. It only makes sense the Chipmunks would eventually come across Laurence Talbot, but I think there could have been a much more entertaining result to come from his meeting them. Talbot is played more as a menacing presence that moves in next door from the Chipmunks.

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