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Shoot 'Em Up - Blu-ray
Wow, I wasn't expecting to enjoy Shoot 'Em Up quite as much as I did. It's silly, over-the-top and shallow yet its non-stop action and lunacy made it one of the most enjoyable movie experiences I've had for some time. At only 80 minutes there's little time for story, instead the viewer is treated to scene after scene of bullet-laden action and ludicrous set pieces that are played out so seriously you can't help but smile. Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti put in excellent performances and Monica Bellucci is certainly more than just eye candy. Try not to let your brain do too much work and you'll be in for one hell of a ride.
Thankfully the Blu-ray is well up to the task, combining stunningly crisp visuals, sporting truly impressive levels of fine detail, with one of the most frenetic soundtracks I've ever heard. It's loud and aggressive and is one to enjoy when you've got a few mates over and the neighbours are away for the weekend. The extra content is also substantial, notably a 50 minute making of feature which covers pretty much everything you'll want to know about how the movie was put together. There are also some deleted/alternate/extended scenes, all of which are presented in HD, a Director's Commentary, a series of animatics and the theatrical trailer. A great package for a great action flick.
Verdict: 4/5
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Storm Warning
The Box art boldly states "FROM THE MAKERS OF WOLF CREEK" a largely enjoyable low-budget Australian horror, but considering Storm Warning comes from the director of Urban Legend and Valentine I wasn't expecting much. And for the first 15-20 minutes my expectations were proved correct - Storm Warning begins at a terribly slow and overly drawn out pace. It's not really until the final half of the movie's 82 minute runtime that things get going and to its credit manages to deliver some truly memorable gory sequences, several of which will make grown men squirm. Storm Warning doesn't come close to Wolf Creek, but given a chance should entertain fans of low-budget horror.
The Blu-ray edition looks and sounds pretty good for a low-budget production, but fans will find the supplemental content very disappointing. There's the ever-present Director's Commentary, cast and crew interviews, plus a behind the scenes look at the make-up and special effects.
Verdict: 2/5
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Shrooms - Blu-ray
The Tagline for Shrooms is "get ready to get wasted", and you really should if you want to enjoy this movie. A group of American teenagers take a trip to Ireland for a camping holiday and the promise of all the mushrooms they can handle. It just so happens that their trip has coincided with the rare appearance of a highly dangerous mushroom variant, giving rise to horrific visions, bouts of rage and even death. Despite the promise of gore the movie is most likely to have earned its BBFC 18 rating because of its explicit scenes of drug taking and not scenes of bloody horror.
The movie's certainly one to skip, but if you really must check it out the Blu-ray offers excellent picture and sound, plus a bunch of extra content, including a selection of deleted scenes and alternate endings - none of which made the film any more enjoyable.
Verdict: 1/5
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