Abigail (2019/Well Go Blu-ray)/Dead Center (2019*)/Dragonheart: Vengeance (2020/Universal Blu-ray w/DVD)/Hunt For Vlad The Impaler (2018/ShineHouse Blu-ray)/In The Aftermath (1988/*Arrow/both MVD Blu-ray)/Perception (2018/Gravitas Ventures DVD)

Picture: A-/B+/B+ & C+/B+/B+/B- Sound: C/B+/B+ & C+/B+/B+/B- Extras: D/B/C+/C-/B/C- Films: A-/C+/C/C-/C+/C

Now for more thrillers and action...

Ever since Abigail was a young girl, her town has been sealed away from the world and to watch and report for anyone with the 'sickness'. Those who were 'infected' were then removed and to be never seen again ...including Abigail's father. Ten year later Abigail uncovers a big secret, that there never was sickness but something even greater the government was hiding, the existence of magic ...and that her father maybe still alive. As Abigail searches for clues, the past and her father she learns that magic and fairies are alive and well, but those in power will do anything to control it and to keep it a secret in Aleksandr Boguslavskiy's Russian-produced Abigail (2019).

For years, Abigail had been taught to follow the town rules, order and law. And those who are 'infected' to be immediately reported to the government to be taken away by men in iron masks, then she learns it is not sickness, but magic awakening in those that are magically gifted. She learns her father was involved with a secret government project with magic and the government wants to control all magic, and if they don't get to control it ...then no one else will either. Abigail then learns of an underground resistance and those who have awoken with magic are planning a revolution. But even more, Abigail learns her father had left clues for her and to what the government is really planning ...and that she maybe the only one who can stop the government's plans and save the resistance.

This was an amazing foreign adventure film filled with adventure, magic, wonder, steampunk and airships. The movie reminded me of movie Mortal Engines. It seemed like this movie could have been a beginning to some larger story and this movie was just the first part. My only complaint was that it was a dubbed track only, I would have liked the option to hear the movie in it's original language and actor's voices.

The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer looks great and is consistent for the style chosen, but the English-dub DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is really bad, really poor and a huge disappointment. Extras include trailers.

Arrow doesn't often release newer films but every once in a while they make an exception. The Dead Center (2019) is an interesting psychological thriller and is sure to creep you out with interesting performance and acting.

The film stars Shane Carruth (Primer, Upstream Color), Poorna Jagannathan (The Night Of, Gypsy) and Jeremy Childs TV's Preacher). The Dead Center centers around a suicide patient that lands up in a psych ward with troubling behavior. He claims that an inner demon is threatening to swallow him whole. With the help of a Psychiatrist, a distributing thrill ride awaits in this film directed by Billy Senese.

The Dead Center is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a nice sounding DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix. The film has nice sound mixing that's sure to disturb you and is aided by an interesting score as well. The film also isn't terribly shot and has decent production value considering its modest budget.

Special Features include:

Commentary with writer-director Billy Senese, producer-actor Shane Carruth and co-star Jeremy Childs

Commentary with writer-director Billy Senese, producers Denis Deck and Jonathan Rogers, and cinematographer Andy Duensing

A Walk Through The Dead Center, an in-depth making-of documentary featuring new interviews with writer-director Billy Senese, producer-actor Shane Carruth, cinematographer Andy Duensing, and many others revisiting the locations and discussing the production

Nine deleted scenes, including an alternate ending

On-set interviews with actors Shane Carruth and Poorna Jagannathan

Head-Casting with Jeremy Childs, a brief look at the creation of the make-up effects seen in the climax of the film

Intruder, a short film from 2011 directed by Billy Senese and starring Jeremy Childs

The Suicide Tapes, the original short film from 2010 directed by Senese and starring Childs that later inspired The Dead Center

Midnight Radio Theater, six chilling radio plays (Insomnia, The Long Weekend, Disposable Life, The Suicide Tapes, The Woman In The Basement, Blood Oath, Flu) written, produced and directed by Billy Senese

Theatrical trailer and teasers

Image gallery

Reversible sleeve featuring new and original artwork

and FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jamie Graham.

Universal has kept the Dragonheart brand alive over the years, despite not going all out with another theatrical release. Yes, there have been several direct to video sequels to Dragonheart (1996), which had Sir. Sean Connery as the voice of the dragon and then jaw dropping visual effects by Industrial Light and Magic. Since then there has been Dragonheart: A New Beginning (2000), Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse (2015), Dragonheart: Battle For the Heartfire (2017), and now Dragonheart: Vengeance (2020).

In keeping with tradition of having a distinguished celebrity do the voice of the Dragon, Helena Bonham Carter (who really should be getting better work), is supplying the voice here for Siveth, a white female dragon. The plot is pretty simple - a young farmer boy named Lukas witnesses his family killed by savage raiders in the countryside. In Luke Skywalker fashion staring at the burning rubble that was his family, and sets out on an epic quest for revenge alongside the cool dragon and a kookie mercenary.

The film stars Joseph Millson, Carolina Carlsson, Richard Ashton, Cameron Jack, Diana Vladu, and Ross O'Hennessy. The film is directed by Ivan Silvestrini (Love, Inevitably).

Dragonheart: Vengeance is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and a nice sounding audio mix in English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) lossless mix. Despite the film's modest budget, there are several very scenic locations that come across nicely in HD. The CGI, though a bit unrealistic at times, pushes through in detail on the transfer nicely as well. Also included is an anamorphically enhanced, standard definition DVD with a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital audio mix and a more compressed image. A digital copy is also included.

Special Features:

A New Legend - featurette

Creating Siveth - featurette

and Trailers

Dragonheart: Vengeance is fine for a PG-13 fantasy, but doesn't offer anything new in terms of story or characters that we haven't seen before. For younger audiences it is fine.

I have always loved the legend of Vlad the Impaler, the infamous leader who helped inspire the classic character of Count Dracula. However, this high budgeted film, The Hunt For Vlad The Impaler (2018) comes across as part History Channel special/part victim of terrible editing. The money is on the screen here and there is some impressive production design going on. But unfortunately the terrible voice over and dubbing makes it hard to enjoy.

The film stars Cem Ucan, Erkan Petekkaya, Nur Fettahoglu, Yetkin Dikinciler, Gulsah Sahin, and Ismail Filiz, with direction by Osman Kaya.

In the 15th century, Vlad the Impaler is a sinister and unstoppable force. Seven warriors known as Deliler, embark on a historic journey to stop Vlad at any cost necessarily. While the cover compares the film to 'Vikings meets Game of Thrones', I wouldn't say that it has the charisma or originality of either, but is certainly presented to attract that fanbase.

The Hunt for Vlad The Impaler is presented in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless tracks in 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo. The presentation overall isn't bad except for the horrid voice over track that was mentioned earlier. Some of the film's image clarity exposes some of so-so effects but overall everything looks fine here.

Special Features include... a Trailer

I feel with a better script and a better editor, this could have been an interesting piece. There was certainly a lot of money poured into it. However, it feels like someone stole History Channel B-Roll and attempted to make a film out of it haphazardly. Some very strange choices were made here.

A mix of live action and Japanese-style anime, In The Aftermath (1988), is an interesting experimental work resurrected on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video. The film is basically two films cut together with often mixed results and was the directorial debut of Carl Colpaert (The Crew). One of the films is an anime by the creator of the classic Ghost in the Shell, Mamoru Oshii, called ''Angel's Egg'' and the other is live action footage shot in America by Colpaert.

The 'heavy' film is set in a post apocalyptic future and has a plot that certainly isn't always easy to decipher. The story centers on two soldiers who are on a search for supplies or anything they can find. Traveling the barren landscape of the future certainly is not ideal and the other citizens not too friendly. Soon, one of the men on the journey, Frank, is haunted by visions of a woman holding a giant egg who appears to be from another world. Can the egg solve the problem between both co-existing worlds?

The film features Rainbow Dolan and Tony Markes, and is based on an original story ''Angel's Egg'' by Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano.

In The Aftermath is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a nice sounding English LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) mix. For a Blu-ray presentation, the film looks and sounds fantastic here with no gripes. The film has been nicely restored by Arrow and the 35mm film print was scanned and restored in 2K resolution.

Special Features include:

The Path to Aftermath with Tom Dugan

Apocalypse Then - a newly filmed interview with Tony Markes

Before the Aftermath: The Influence of Angel's Egg

Still and Poster Gallery

Insert booklet with full color stills and new writing on the film by Jon Towlson

and Reversible cover art featuring the work of Corey Brickley.

The interesting low budget thriller directed by Llana Rein, Perception (2018), has landed on DVD courtesy of Gravitas Ventures and is definitely worth checking out.

Starring Wes Ramsey and Meera Rohit Kumbhani, Perception centers around a real estate developer who gets a chance psychic reading, which turns out to be disastrous. The spirit of the man's dead wife has been following and tormenting him, and soon it becomes an obsession of his to contact her as he is haunted by painful flashbacks from their intense relationship.

The film also stars Valerie Jane Parker, Max Jenkins, Kelly Mengelkoch, and Caitlin Mehner.

The film is presented on standard definition DVD with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital surround mix in both 5.1 and 2.0 respectively. Compression issues are evident as is the norm for the format. The film is nicely shot considering its modest budget and worth a watch.

The only extra is a Trailer.

- Ricky Chiang (Abigail) and James Lockhart

https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/