Return to Nilbog TROLL 2 is Coming to Blu-Ray

Forget PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, forget ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, forget STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, this October one of the most celebrated so-bad-its-beyond-awesome movies of all time is coming to Blu-Ray this October.

That's right I'm talking about TROLL 2, or TROLL II for the Romans reading, a film truly deserving of the "movies at midnight" stamp of approval.

TROLL 2 tells the story of Joshua and his family, take a trip to Nilbog, which unbeknown to them, is the kingdom of the goblins, as told to young Joshua by his deceased grandfather Seth. Now it's up to Joshua, magical time-stopping Grandpa Seth, and a bologna sandwich to save the family from the evil Goblin Queen, who uses everything from magical rocks to an ear of corn to destroy Joshua's family.

TROLL 2 found its way into my heart in the early nineties when it was shown practically every weekend afternoon on WPIX here in the North East. No matter where I came into the movie's running time I was compelled to watch the rest, much like I was for TREMORS, GROUNDHOG DAY and SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER.

And now it will soon be mine to own, and yours too, in glorious high definition forever and ever and ever...

Planned STAR WARS Blu-Ray Release; But Which Versions?

At Star Wars Celebration V this weekend George Lucas announced that the entire STAR WARS saga is being prepped for Blu-Ray, and expected to be released for the end of 2011.

The set will feature documentaries, vintage behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, retrospectives and never-before-seen footage from the Lucasfilm archives. Among this never-before-seen footage will be a scene deleted from RETURN OF THE JEDI that shows Luke Skywalker building his new lightsaber prior to his arrival at Jabba's Palace. This scene was revealed at Celebration V:



But the question that will be asked by the legions of fans who have spent the past 33 years dedicated to the franchise is this: which versions of A NEW HOPE, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI will be in this set? According to an article on the New York Times website the outlook isn't good:

Mr. Lucas said the versions of the first three films ... included in the Blu-ray boxed set will be the special-edition releases that were shown theatrically in 1997 and digitally restored for a 2004 standard-definition DVD boxed set.

This is a disturbing, but not unforeseen, revelation that will surely sour many who hoped to finally have the original versions in a high-def format. Perhaps there is hope that the originals will be released as an "extra feature", much like they were on the single-disc DVD releases of the original trilogy. For now though, hold close to your weathering VHS copies and Laserdiscs. The fate of the original STAR WARS trilogy is difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.

GRINDHOUSE Blu-Ray Full Specs and Artwork Revealed

A little ways back rumors began circulating the GRINDHOUSE was finally coming to Blu-ray completely uncut. Now the full details and artwork have been revealed. It appears all extras from the single-movie releases PLANET TERROR and DEATH PROOF have been ported over, plus over two hours of brand new content, much of which focuses on the faux trailers.

An exhilarating homage to the titillating B-movies of the 60s and 70s, Grindhouse, a double billing featuring Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror bursts onto two-disc Blu-Ray on October 5 from Vivendi Entertainment and The Weinstein Company. Debuting for the first time in high definition and in its original theatrical exhibition format, the presentation starts with the deliciously over-the-top horror flick Planet Terror, followed by an intermission featuring three gritty trailers and concluding with the ultra-intense vehicular slasher film Death Proof. The set features over two hours of brand new bonus material including a 10-Minute Cooking School feature with Rodriguez, five features on the trailers including an extended trailer and making-ofs, deleted scenes and much more.

Special Features:

Disc 1 – Theatrical Exhibition:
* Grindhouse Feature (Planet Terror)
* Intermission Cards
* Don’t Trailer
* Werewolf Women of the S.S Trailer
* Thanksgiving Trailer
* Grindhouse Feature (Death Proof)

Disc 2

Planet Terror
* Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Film School
* The Badass Babes of Planet Terror
* The Guys of Planet Terror
* Casting Rebel
* Sickos, Bullets, And Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror
* The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent
* Planet Terror Poster Gallery

Death Proof
* Stunts On Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
* Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
* The Guys of Death Proof
* Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
* Finding Quentin’s Gals
* The Uncut Version of “Baby, It’s You” performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
* Introducing Zoe Bell
* Double Dare Trailer
* Death Proof Extended Music
* Death Proof Poster Gallery

Plus these all-new bonus features:
* Robert Rodriguez’s 10-Minute Cooking School
* The Makeup Effects of Planet Terror
* The Hot Rods of Death Proof
* From Texas to Tennessee: The Production Design of Death Proof
* Trailers
* Extended Werewolf Women of The SS Trailer
* View Extended Cut Of Werewolf Women of the SS -Trailer with Commentary by Director Rob Zombie
* The Making Of Werewolf Women of the SS Trailer
* Extended Don’t Trailer
* View Extended Cut Of Don’t Trailer with -Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
* The Making of Don’t Trailer
* Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison
* View Don’t Storyboard/Trailer Comparison with Commentary by Director Edgar Wright
* Don’t Storyboards Still Gallery
* Don’t Poster
* The Making of Thanksgiving Trailer
* New York Times Talk with Quention Tarantino and Lynn Hirschberg at Comic Con 2006 Featuring the -Directors and Cast of Grindhouse
* Grindhouse Trailer Contest Winner Hobo With A Shotgun

You can read my original review of GRINDHOUSE from when it first came out back in 2007.

Is Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy Worth the Blu-Ray Upgrade?

So you've purchased the individual domestic DVD releases of SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE, OLDBOY and SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Or maybe the Korean imports are a jewel of your DVD set. But now that there's a Blu-ray boxset release of all three films the question arises; is it worth the double dip? Lets take a look at everything that comes with the set:

SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE (2002) Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction.

* Audio commentary with director Park Chan-Wook and actor/filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan
* The Process of Mr. Vengeance
* My Boksu Story
* Crew interviews
* Jonathan Ross on Park Chan-wook
* Soundtrack and photos
* Storyboards
* Original behind-the-scenes feature
* Trailer

OLDBOY (2003) Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with wife and little daughter who. After a drunken night on the town, is abducted and locked up in a strange and private "prison." No one will tell him why he’s there and who his jailer is. His fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. 15 years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell-phone and 5 days to discover the mysterious enemy who had him imprisoned. Seeking vengeance on all those involved, he soon finds that his enemy’s tortures are just beginning.

* Audio commentaries:
o Director Park Chan-wooko Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon
o Park Chan-wook and cast
* Five behind-the-scenes featurettes:
o Making The Film – The Cast Remembers
o Production Design
o The Music Score
o CGI Documentary
o Flashback
* Le Grand Prix at Cannes
* Ten deleted scenes with optional commentary
* "The Autobiography of Oldboy": 3-hour video diary.

SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE (2005) Lee Geum-ja is the Lady Vengeance who was sent to prison when she was 19 for a murder case and abduction of a child on behalf of Mr Baek. While in prison, she carefully prepares for her revenge by winning the hearts of her fellow inmates with her kindness, thus earning herself the nickname 'kind Ms. Geum-Ja'. Upon her release from prison after 13 years, she finally sets out to seek revenge on Baek.

* Regular Version
* Fade-To-White versions (with Park Chan-wook introduction to the Fade-To-White version)
* Audio commentaries:
o Director Park Chan-wook and actress Lee Young-ae
o Park Chan-wook, cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon and art director Choi Hyeon-seok
o Critic Richard Peña
* Making-of featurette
* EPK:
o Teaser
o Trailer
o Highlights
o Second making-of featurette
* The Style of Lady Vengeance:
o Visualization
o Production Design
o Costume & Makeup
o Art
o CG
* Deleted scenes with commentary
* Park Chan-wook:
o Interview with Park Chan-wook
o Park Chan-wook, "Mr. Vengeance"
o Photography featurette
o Director's Choice, A short film recommended by Park Chan-wook
* Character interviews
o Lee Geum-ja
o Professor Baek
o Prisoners
o Families
* Lady Vengeance in Venice
* Get Together
* Trailer
* TV spots
* Poster gallery

Two things standout which makes this a must-have addition to your collection. First and foremost, everything has subtitles! In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when importing DVDs was the only way to see many Korean films, including Park Chan-Wook's films, it was nigh-unbearable that all the extra features did not have subtitles, including many of the extras that are now part of this set. Now we are able to enjoy what is being spoken about, which only adds a brand new layer of enjoyment to these cinematic delights. Secondly, is the alternate Fade-to-White version of SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Much like the name implies, the film gradually fades from full color to black-and-white over the course of the running length, adding entirely new visual implications to themes set forth in the film.

Released by the recently rechristened Palisades Tartan distribution company, this is one of the few times where double-dipping seems the only natural thing to do.