The
Mimic
(2017/Well Go Blu-ray)/Tomb
Raider (2018
remake/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Twilight
People (1972/MVD/VCI
Blu-ray w/DVD)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: A-/B+/B- Sound: B+/A/B & B-
Extras: C/C+/C+ Films: B+/B/C+
This
set of genre films deal with creepy creatures and other horror twists
and turns....
A
Korean family moves to the countryside to help take care of their
aging grandmother and to move on after the loss of their son, but
only to face a new horror ...the ghost of lost child. After discover
a little girl in red dress in the woods they take 'her' home... only
to start hearing voices calling them to a cave in the woods. They
begin to wonder, is the child they saved even human at all?
In
Jung Huh's The
Mimic
(2017), an
evil has been recently awakened, an evil spirit that mimics the
voices of loved ones and those they lost, tempting people to enter
the 'tigers cave'. While the mother still grieves for her lost son
she comes to care for the mysterious little girl they found ...but is
she only a temptation, a trick to tempt them to enter the caves? As
they discover who the little girl is and her tragic past, they
discover there are two spirits, one of an innocent girl and another
of her evil father's possessed by a man eating tiger. Can they save
themselves much less the spirit of a little girl?
This
is a horror story, can anyone resist the cry of a young child?
Specially of child calling for it's mother? The Koreans know how to
tell a good horror/ghost story, it is not about what you can see
...it is about what you can't see and how suddenly it is behind you.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer is another rare
HD shoot that looks god and as good as it can on regular Blu-ray,
while the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) Korean 5.1 lossless sound mix often matches
it, if not always. Too bad there aren't more tracks here.
Extras
include behind the scenes with actors and trailers.
While
we are all still recovering from those hideous Angelina Jolie Tomb
Raider
movies from a decade ago, Warner cleans the slate with the new film
starring the gorgeous Alicia Vikander (Ex
Machina)
in the role
of Laura Croft. Based more on the new video game series, this new
Tomb
Raider
(2018) film
is a bit darker and has more of a female Indiana Jones vibe, which
was kind of the point all along. This new Lara Croft also isn't an
unstoppable superhuman like the Jolie version was and does get hurt
and face her own series of challenges. A bit soft in the box office
upon its initial release, hopefully this new Tomb
Raider film
will get some love on home video and warrant a sequel.
The
film also stars Dominic West (300),
Walton Goggins (The
Hateful Eight,
Django
Unchained),
Daniel Wu (TV's Into
the Badlands)
and Oscar nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (The
English Patient).
Still
mourning from the disappearance of her adventurer Dad, Laura Croft
(Vikander) finds herself in her adult life still looking for him.
When she gets a clue of his final destination, a mythical Japanese
island, she finds herself on an adventure that will force her to risk
everything.
Presented
in 2160p HEVC/H.265, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced
Ultra High Definition image on the 4K UHD disc, the film looks
incredible in this clean and very detailed transfer. Presented in
the original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and with both an 11.1
Dolby Atmos lossless track and a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1
lossless track, this is a demo disc worthy presentation that is truly
eye popping. Also included is a lesser quality 1080p Blu-ray edition
with similar but slightly more compressed features. A digital UV
copy is also included.
Special
Features (as the press release goes)...
Tomb
Raider: Uncovered
- The cast and crew reveal the challenges - and the fun - of bringing
Lara Croft's thrilling adventures of life for a new generation.
Croft
Training
- Enter the gym with Award winning actress Alicia Vikander as she
prepares for the most physically demanding role of her career and
transforms into the iconic action hero Lara Croft.
Breaking
Down the Rapids
- Join Director Roar Uthaug as he and other members of the cast and
crew break down the film's most exciting action set piece.
Lara
Croft: Evolution of an Icon
- Explore the revolutionary Tomb Raider saga from video games to
movies, and discover how Lara Croft became one of the most popular
and successful female characters of all time.
This
is definitely a film worth checking out and one of the better film
adaptations of a video game maybe ever.
Drive-In
Movie Auteur Eddie Romero (The BLOOD
trilogy) and Roger Corman teamed up for Twilight
People
aka Island
of the Twilight People
(1972) which stars a young Pam Grier. Shot in the Philippines, this
wildly imaginative film is B movie cheese at its best. Similar to
The
Island of Dr. Moreau
(aka Island
Of Lost Souls)
and Planet
of the Apes,
the film features an exotic island full of genetic animalistic
humanoids which are all the experiments of a mad scientist.
The
film also stars John Ashley (a frequent collaborator of George
Romero), Pat Woodell, Jan Merlin, and Charles Macaulay.
From
flying bat people to furry faces, the inhabitants of the island are
fun and groundbreaking for the time and budget. One character is a
man-bat with wings and there are plenty of funny shots of him flying
around and avoiding gunfire.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio (this
is the first time the film has been released on disc in widescreen)
and an English 2.0 LPCM Mono track. I wish I could report that the
transfer was flawless but it is in fact not. Color timing seems a
little off in some scenes and some film artifacting is seen,
especially in some of the film's earlier scenes. The sound mix is
clear and fine, however. Also included is an anamorphically enhanced
standard definition DVD version with similar (but compressed)
features.
Special
Features...
Video
Interview with director Eddie Romero
Audio
commentary by film historian Toby Roan
and
an original theatrical trailer
If
you like B-movies with decent plots and cheesy action, then Twilight
People
is a must see.
-
Ricky Chiang (The
Mimic)
& James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
