Sony  //  Buy from Amazon.com Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan are two thieves who haven't got a prayer in First Sunday, a sinfully funny comedy co-starring Katt Williams and Chi McBride. Sentenced to 5,000 hours of community service, Durell Jefferson's (Cube) life quickly goes from bad to worse. Realizing that the Lord helps those who help themselves, he eventually decides to help himself to the neighborhood church's building fund. Accompanied by his dimwitted partner-in-crime LeeJohn (Morgan), the two down-on-their luck men are dismayed to discover the cash has already been stolen, so they hold the congregation hostage in a Hail Mary attempt to learn who amongst the righteous has already run away with their loot! I have to admit that I was expecting some type of weak rehashing of Ice Cube's "Friday" films when I saw the trailers for this film. It had a good cast (tough to go wrong with Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan & Katt Williams) but I just got the sense of "been there, seen that." Thankfully, you can't judge a book by its cover, as I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that not only is this film genuinely funny (with next to nothing in common with the "Friday" films other than Ice Cube and Katt Williams being on both), but it also has a heart at the center of it. The film isn't just a yuk-yuk fest (although the funny scenes are damn funny), but it's also a heartfelt & heartwarming look at a father just trying to do right by his family. Of course, this clearly is not a sappy drama in any way, shape or form - and again, it is damn funny - but I'm making sure to point out the touching aspects of the film, as I was completely surprised, and very much drawn in, by them. All in all, this is a really well done film that is sure to entertain regardless of your mood or inclination. Check it out. Video The 1.85:1 widescreen 1080p high-def transfer is fantastic, with crystal-clear picture quality and detail throughout. Audio The included Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround mix was also very good, although since this is a comedy, it's a pretty front-heavy mix that'll do little to work out your surrounds. Extras audio commentary w/ director "The Almighty Version Enhanced Fact Track" subtitled trivia track deleted & extended scenes w/ optional commentary "Hood Robbin' with The First Sunday Cast and Crew" featurette gag reel outtakes director's speech at the end of production trailers Closing Thoughts Very funny (and touching) flick + loads of extras = definitely worth your time to check out

First Look Studios  //  Buy from Amazon.com The plan for these high school seniors with a major case of senioritis: break into Principal Dickwalder's (Miller) house and throw the party of the year. But Principal Dickwalder overhears Adam (Gary Lundy, Donnie Darko) explaining the plan; ruining the celebration....or does it? Adam's only chance at redemption is to host the party himself. Gorgeous models, stripteases, a gigantic gravity bong, a funeral and some crêpes are the key elements to the best skip day party ever. Their only problem? Dickwalder is on a mission to stop the festivities. This hilarious fun-filled adventure will make you want to plan a skip day of your own. While I initially thought "Senior Skip Day" was but another attempted retread of "American Pie" released straight to DVD, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's actually an independent film, released on the festival circuit that was then picked up for DVD distribution. It's apparent to the viewer within the first 2 minutes of the movie that this isn't going to be some watered down PG affair, as the main character says (to the camera, "Ferris Bueller"-style) at minute 3:30, "This is my high school. This fucking place is filled with your standard group of stock characters out of every high school in America." I loved that line, and the hilarious-yet-serious conviction with which he utters it. As genuinely funny as the film is, there's no doubt that it's the cameos that really make it worth checking out. Lea Thompson is possibly the hottest mom on the entire planet. Larry Miller is hilarious in his dead-pan delivery of the school Principal. Norm McDonald will amuse and befuddle you as a strange, strange teacher. And finally, best for last: Clint Howard as the sociopathic, crazy-ass nutbag who tags along for the Senior Skip Day. DVDschlock.com was actually able to speak to Clint Howard in promotion for this movie, and you can read the interview by clicking here. All in all, a funny little movie, and far funnier than you might expect from a straight-to-DVD release. Video The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer is solid throughout, with good detail and coloring in every scene. Audio Dolby 5.1 surround sound to tickle your earlobes. Extras trailers Closing Thoughts Funny, entertaining comedy + hilarious appearances by Clint Howard, Norm McDonald & Larry Miller = well worth checking out for an evening of chuckles Trailer

Clint Howard is one of my all-time favorite actors. Ever since I first saw him in "Rock 'n Roll High School" back on beta in the early 80s, I've been mesmerized by his uber-ClintHowardness - truly, there is no one out there like Clint other than Clint, as he's a force unto himself. As I developed a fondness for all things b-movie-related and schlocky, I came to know & love such immortal classics as "Evilspeak" and "Ice Cream Man" and his brief but utterly hilarious cameos in Adam Sandler's "The Waterboy" and "Little Nickey." Heck, I even enjoyed Clint's straight-man turns in his brother Ron's films, including "Apollo 13" and "EdTV." When DVDschlock.com was offered the chance to interview Clint as part of the publicity for the recently-released "Senior Skip Day" (click here for our review), I jumped at the opportunity - how often does one get to talk to a true screen icon? I was so excited... and was blown away by how friendly, funny and genuinely sincere Clint was - it was a fantastic conversation, and my best attempt at a transcription is below... I just want to start off by saying how much I appreciate you making the time to talk to a lil' web site like DVDschlock.com - let me say that I'm a true fan, and that's not just blowing smoke, as I count some of your films as my all-time favorites. Well thank you very much. I'm very grateful for people who appreciate my work, as the relationship between the audience and the performer is important, and I dig it. I get a kick out of the work I do and the fact that others as well is cool. Lionel Huffer (Clint's character in "Senior Skip Day") was a great character - the film is quite funny, but for me, his role was the highlight. Thanks very much - y'know, it's a little indie "Ferris Bueller's" on steroids. There's a lot to like about the movie and I had a blast working on it. It's one of those projectst that I'm really glad I said "yes" to, and I knew I was going to say yes once I heard who was involved. Getting to work with Larry Miller was fun - he's great character actor, and the filmmakers respected us enough to give us some latitude and let us do our own thing. We improvised quite a bit, especially our final scene together - that was completely us working through the possibilities, sun going down, clock is ticking, and we just had fun with it. FYI - Clint has probably the best line in the movie here: "I had a dream - I wanted to be an air conditioner repair man. And you FUCKED that up, so know I'm going to cut your head off." I also appreciated the set up of the movie - it was a young, energetic film crew and a young, relatively inexperienced director and writer. They were sort of mentored by George Gallow, who wrote "Midnight Run" and when I saw they had a mentor as one of the producers, I thought that was really cool. George helped behind the scenes and was there for the crew and the actors as a veteran - it was fun having him around. I had fun with the character - I told the director I wanted to shave my head, think outside the box, have a jailhouse tattoo and just be weird. There's give & take when you make small movies, and it was fun to really get into the character.  What do you enjoy more - playing the oddball or the straight-laced guy?   As an actor, I try to make things honest, as I need to believe it too. I've been able to do a lot of different things in my career, honestly, because I hardly ever say no, so I get to do a wide range of characters. But I do wish I could do more straight actors, non-psychotic. I know the movie business likes to hire "safe" and cast "safe" and cast good looking, but in real life, there's a lot of quirky birds in a lot of interesting positions. I've met a lot of really interesting doctors and attorneys, but in the world of casting they always hire the same type to be a doctor. But hey, I'm an actor - I can play an attorney, I'm a smart guy, I could've been a doctor... but that being said, I would love the opportunity to play those roles, and with the right Armani suit I could be an attorney and with the right get up I could be a doctor... Yet I understand, and I'm not bitter - if they want to hire mre to play freaks, I'll play freaks.   That's one thing about Rob Zombie - we're good friends, and he's a great guy - and he called me up when he was casting for "Halloween" and said he wanted me to play straight character. Rob's got the balls to cast against type - he wanted to see me play straight. Y'know, I've worked with Hank Arthur, Red Skeleton and now I've worked with Rob Zombie - that's a helluva eclectic mix.   Well, it's a credit to you that you've played so many roles in over 180 productions now, and that's why you won the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award...   Y'know, I knew ahead of time that I was going to be presented with that, so I had time to prepare my words in advance. My Dad said to me, "Listen, take it seriously - that's the way this skit/segment is going to work." I talked with Ron and Dad, and there were jokes that could've been said... and those jokes could've gotten laughs... but those laughs wouldn't have been memorable. "If you take it seriously, then it can be memorable..." I remember doing that and lots of people have fond memories of that particular moment in TV movie awards - and it was real. I truly feel honored to be in the positon I'm in - I'm grateful, that's no bullshit. Would I like to be a $25,000,000 movie star? Of course. But the fact is, if this is what it is: me being a character actor, creating a body of work that allows people to watch movies & TV and embrace me as their sort of personal favorite, that's great - I think it's wonderful. It just proves that you don't have the be the best, fastest, best looking guy to end up leaving a mark.   But the same could said for Charlie Manson, so....   With your indulgence I'd love to ask you about a couple of my personal favorite Clint Howard films and hear whatever recollections you'd like to share... Sure, go for it. Rock 'n Roll High School Great experience - shot in 1979 and I was full-fledged into rock & roll at the time. Getting to be in that movie was really fun and, being a Roger Corman movie and having worked in a couple Corman films prior to that, there were lots of the same guys involved, so it felt like family. Playing around with the Ramones and hanging out with Vince Van Patten - great memories. It was one of first movies where I was out on my own - doing dialogue on my own, driving to set by myself, left to my own devices.   Evilspeak Made right after "Rock 'n Roll High School" - my "coming of age" as an actor and an adult. My first lead in a movie, there were a trio of creative people who made that movie: the director, the cinematographer and myself. I felt really good that I was being included on an adult level - I was the lead and the director trusted and respected my judgement and effort. The three of us really worked hard on that movie and it was another one of first movies that I worked on on my own. I was no longer a child actor, but was now an adult actor, with another set of rules. I got laid for first time during filming of "Evilspeak."   Y'know, it's really an underrated movie - people online take shots at it, but I'm proud of it. It was a really low-budget lil' indie movie, but when it came out, it was #1 or #2 in the markets that it opened in. Now, there were some fundamental mistakes made in the release of movie, so it didn't get a full studio release... but then video and dvd releases came out, plus its claim to fame was that Britain deemed it a "video nasty" (banned movie). I guess they didn't like pigs eating a naked woman in a bathtub... Fun movie to work on.   Last question: as an indie filmmaker myself, how would I go about getting him involved in one of my no-budget movies? Well, I'm a SAAG member, so it would need to be a union movie. I'm certainly more than willing to read material and talk to creative people. I like to stay busy, I like to work, so send something to my agent and I'll be happy to take a look! Thanks so much to Clint Howard for being such a fantastic interview!

Fox  //  Buy from Amazon.com Colonel Matrix (Schwarzenegger) is retired and living peaceably with his 10-year-old daughter when she is kidnapped by the henchmen of an exiled Latin American dictator. The dictator's plan is to reinstate himself in power by eliminating the president of his country, using Matrix to kill him (or he will kill the kidnapped daughter). Matrix escapes from the plane that is supposed to be carrying him to his mission and then proceeds to go from one violent confrontation to the next as he hunts down the dictator and moves to rescue his daughter. Helping him is Cindy (Chong), who has her own reasons for wanting the dictator dead. Note that DVDschlock.com recently reviewed the special edition DVD release of "Commando" and you can read this review by clicking here. Rather than focusing on the film again, we're going to focus on the new/different aspects of this film's Blu-ray release.. I will say, however, that I still enjoy this film - even though I reviewed it just a few months ago, watching it again on Blu-ray was just as entertaining as I would've hoped. You really can't get sick of 80s action flicks, especially those staring Mr. "I'll Be Back" himself, and this one's one of his better ones. Video The 1.85:1 high def transfer of this film looks very good - of course, it's never going to look like THX made love to it, but for what it is (a 25 year old action flick), this transfer looks pretty darned good. Audio Given a DTS HD Master Audio mix, undoubtedly "Commando" has never sounded better, and my surrounds (esp. the sub) got a solid workout with this one. Extras trailer Closing Thoughts Classic 80s action flick + zero extras = fun film, weak release (despite the high def transfer)

Fox  //  Buy from Amazon.com Katherine Heigl lights up the screen in this charming romantic comedy from the screenwriter of The Devil Wears Prada. Heigl stars as Jane, a romantic, completely selfless woman who's been a happy, helpful bridesmaid no less than 27 times. But her own fairytale wedding seems to be nowhere in sight. Until younger sister Tess captures the heart of Jane's boss - with whom she's secretly in love - inspiring Jane to change her "always a bridesmaid" destiny. Oh my god this movie was boring. Now, despite my fondness for b-movies, I'm not opposed to enjoying the odd romance, and in fact count a few films in that genre as some of my favorites ("The Notebook" for example)... and even the romantic comedy genre has spat out a few gems over the years ("Notting Hill" is a personal fave.) However, "27 Dresses" is a snoozefest that was painful to watch. Trite story, who-cares characters, call-it-in performances... who cares?! I'm sure it did well at the box office (ooh, Katherine Heigl - she's in "Grey's Anatomy!") but this one will never again grace my tv screen. Good riddance. Video Fox delivers this one in a 2.35:1 1080p high def transfer. Of course, it's Blu-ray, so you know the film is going to look spectacular, but I was surprised at how "flat" the coloring was in this film... but then again, it was only because the film bored me so much that I was even paying attention to the color palette in the first place. Audio DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 surround mix is perfectly functional - it's a romantic comedy, so needless to say your surrounds won't get much of a workout with this one. Extras "The Wedding Party" featurette "You'll Never Wear It Again" featurette "Jane's World" featurette "The Running of the Brides" featurette deleted scenes trailers Closing Thoughts Weak script, boring story + nice assortment of extras = incredibly trite romantic noncomedy

Fox  //  Buy from Amazon.com The ultimate hunter meets the ultimate adversary... in the ultimate Collector's Edition DVD! Arnold Schwarzenegger wages an all-out war against an unseen enemy, a force more powerful and deadly than any on Earth-because the Predator is not of this Earth. Now, you can explore the depths of the Predator jungle with this all-new 2-disc set packed with over 5 hours of out-of-this-world extras, including an in-depth documentary, director's commentary, never-before-seen bonus footage, revealing featurettes and more! "Predator" is an unequivocal classic - whether you're a fan of action flicks, sci-fi flicks, Arnie, 80s, or any combination therein, "Predator" delivers in spades. One of the best action films ever made, bar none, with a very strong cast (including not 1 but 2 future governors!), a helluva cool bad-ass title character and some truly memorable one-liners, this is the making of a true classic, and that is definitely what it is. No need to rehash the storyline or how good it is - you already know, because anyone alive today should have seen this film at least once already, whether on cable or one of the many previous DVD releases that have come out. Now, we get to enjoy the Predator on shiny high definition Blu-ray disc, and it's never looked better (see below.) Great fun, great action, great great film. And it goes without saying - pick up this Blu-ray rather than AVP2 - what a stinkfest! Video The 1080p 1.85:1 widescreen transfer is very strong - "Predator" is never a film that is going to be "reference quality" (due to a combination of age and wildly varying original footage quality), but undoubtedly this Blu-ray release is the best the film has ever looked, so it's a treat to behold (especially if you grew up watching this film on cable TV as I did!) Audio The DTS HD Master Audio mix is phenomenal - "Predator" always had strong sound design, and this high-def audio mix really lets the surrounds go to town on this one. Fantastic. Extras trailer Closing Thoughts Truly the ultimate action film + zero extras = worth renting, but where are all of the previously-released extras?!

Fox  //  Buy from Amazon.com In this follow-up to the worldwide hit ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, the iconic monsters from two of the scariest film franchises ever, wage war in an American Midwestern town - with the residents caught in the middle. While I've never been a huge fan of either the "Alien" or "Predator" franchises, I've enjoyed every film in each series, and own them all. I even enjoyed (as a guilty pleasure) the first "AVP" film - it's by no means a good film, but it's a very entertaining one, and I've watched it probably 3 or 4 times since it came out. As such, I figured I could count on at least as much entertainment value for its sequel, if not more, as how could they possibly regress to make a worse film the second time out? Color me corrected: AVP2 is a disaster... Despite amazing visuals, fantastic special effects, and a rip-roaring sound mix, this film is BORING. I can't believe I'm using that word to describe an Alien vs. Predator film, but I literally fell asleep during this film - I was so disinterested in it than I never even finished it. Oh, how I wanted to like it - I love good action flicks, I love bad action flicks, but I loathe boring action flicks... and unbelievably, this is most definitely the latter. Shame. Video The high-def 2.40:1 widescreen transfer is spectacular - with deep blacks, razor-sharp detail and a gorgeous color palette, this one looks fantastic. Too bad it's a such a piece of crap film. Audio The DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix is boombastic, with a powerful, rip-roarin' soundtrack that still doesn't come close to making up for this piece of crap film. Extras audio commentary w/ directors & producer audio commentary w/ creature effects designers "Preparing for War - Development & Production" featurette "FIght to the Finish - Post Production" featurette "The Nightmare Returns - Creating the Aliens" featurette "Crossbreed - Creating the Predalien" featurette "Building the Predator Homeworld" featurette Weyland-Yutani Archives (Java-based glossary of information on Aliens & Predators) added footage marker (if you're watching the unrated version) photo galleries trailers digital copy (for PC or iPods) Closing Thoughts Great looking, great sounding piece of crap film + AMAZING collection of extras = fantastic offering... for a turd of a film

Sony  //  Buy from Amazon.com From deep uncharted waters and through cavernous subterranean tunnels emerges into Lake Superior an unknown and menacing species. The gruesome bloodshed to follow doesn't stop at Nessie; she's brought her vicious offspring to help terrorize the innocent townspeople living around the lake. No man on land or water has a chance against this forty-foot bloodthirsty reptile and her spawn... No man except the only one who has ever survived Nessie's wrath. Driven by a deep-seeded vengeance, James Murphy (Brian Krause, TV's "Charmed") hunts down this terrible species with skillful force. Will Murphy save the locals of Lake Superior or end up as one of Nessie's countless casualties? Here's what you need to know about "Loch Ness Terror" before diving in (pun intended): it's a Sci-Fi Channel movie about the Loch Ness monster. That right there should be more than enough said - at this point, you're still reading because that's a positive in your eyes (hell yeah!) or you've already clicked away anyway, so good riddance to your elitist ass. We're all about b-movies here @ DVDschlock.com, and "Loch Ness Terror" is exactly that: an unabashedly cheesy, campy, cheesy-effects-ridden b-extravaganza... and we loved it! Yes, it's got hamball acting, yes the story is colored by numbers, but it's a fun movie, an entertaining movie, and it follows all of the logical b-movie conventions that you'd expect from a modern-day schlockfest. Point blank: you're either going to hate this movie because it's so bad, or love it because it's so bad (in a good way, of course), so do yourself a favor and give it a chance... you might surprise yourself. (Special kudos to Sony for releasing b-gems like this to DVD for us to enjoy!) Video The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen presentation is very nicely done, with good, sharp detail from start to finish. Audio A robust Dolby 5.1 surround mix delivers all the sonic fury you'd expect for this type of film. Extras making-of featurette episode of "Blood+" trailers Closing Thoughts Uber b-movie that's loads of fun to watch + minimal extras = well worth feasting your b-movie-lovin' eyeballs upon!

Fox  //  Buy from Amazon.com Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a whip-smart teen confronting an unplanned pregnancy by her classmate Bleeker (Michael Cera). With the help of her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby), Juno finds her unborn child a perfect set of parents: an affluent suburban couple, Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), longing to adopt. Luckily, Juno has the total support of her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) as she faces some tough decisions, flirts with adulthood and ultimately figures out where she belongs. "Juno" seemed to be the indie gem of 2007, a lil' film that garnered a whole lotta buzz. As always, I didn't see it in the theater, but was genuinely interested in checking it out on Blu-ray (thank you Fox!) Incidentally, I was intrigued to also see the Ellen Page in the title role, as my only previous knowledge of her was as Ricky's teenage daughter on the Canadian cult classic tv series, "Trailer Park Boys" (damn I wish that show would catch on here in American.) Anyway, I digress... I really dug "Juno" - it's not your typical film (not even your typical indie film.) Sure, it has loads of indie attitude that seems to sneer, "F*ck the establishment" but it also has a heart of gold under the afghan sweater and strange (but utterly mesmerizing) dialogue. The characters in this film are genuine through and through, and although they're not necessarily people you'd want to spend any time with in the real world, they are very believable characters and totally engrossing as the story progresses. There's always those great indie flicks that bubble up to mainstream success (most deservedly so), and "Juno" is definitely one of those films - a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Video The 1.85:1 high-def widescreen transfer is perfect in every way - sharp detail, nice coloring, zero defects, zero complaints. Audio The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is also perfect - a lovely blend of dialogue and soft acoustic tunes. Extras audio commentary w/ director & writer deleted scenes gag reel screen tests "Way Beyond 'Our' Maturity Level" featurette "Diablo Cody is Totally Boss" featurette "Jason Reitman for Shizz" featurette "Honest to Blog! Creating Juno" featurette 2 promotional bits digital copy (for computers & iPods) Closing Thoughts Cute, quirkie, indie fun + huge assortment of extras = hip, original, enjoyable film

Anchor Bay  //  Buy from Amazon.com It's a long holiday weekend at the Lambda Epsilon Zeta sorority house, and a handful of girls stay behind to indulge in three days of partying, sex games and strangely delicious meals prepared by the weird new chef. But as the sisters begin to disappear one-by-one, the remaining coeds find themselves trapped in a nightmare of graphic slaughter - as they wonder who will wind up next on the menu! Mark Hengst ("Alias," Miss Congeniality 2), Makinna Ridgway and Kit Paquin ("Ugly Betty," "Entourage") star with a bounty of beauties in this blood-spattered black comedy that cuts like a knife, tastes like chicken and serves up a scrumptious feast of carnage whipped up by... The Cook What a strange film. The cover should have told me all I needed to know - a smirking, ruggedly handsome dude with a huge close-up of giant boobs behind him. While I may have been hoping for an attempt to recapture the magic of "Porky's" or even "Hot Dog: The Movie" unfortunately this film doesn't come close to those beloved 80s sex comedies. What it is is clearly a low-budget attempt at creating a dark, sex-filled comedy... with meager talent in front of (and behind) the camera. This ain't no polished Hollywood production, to be sure, but I'm not trying to flush the film down the toilet with this review, because I did enjoy it... mostly. It's not great, but it is fun, and you'll at least chuckle or snort a few times, guaranteed. No Oscars coming this film's way, but if you want to turn off the brain and just giggle, your wish is granted. Video This (apparently DV) film is presented in a wide 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer that is decent, but admittedly not great. No complaints, but nothing beautiful either. Audio The Dolby 5.1 surround mix is quite active, in some scenes too much so (with music drowning out the dialogue.) Extras audio commentary w/ exec producer/editor/writer + 5 actors behind the scenes featurette audition footage trailers Closing Thoughts Amusing, decently entertaining flick + good extras = worth a rental on an otherwise dull evening