HOT TOYS 12" MK III IRONMAN BATTLE SUIT

Hey movie buffs and superhero fanatics! I have an awesome item here for you to look at. I picked up the Hot Toys 12" IronMan MK III figure and almost died when I saw the detail on this thing! It's a direct replica of the power suit that tony Stark builds in the film. And it has all the bells and whistles it showcases in the film as well!

The Packaging is awesome, with the magnetic clasp that is now a household feature on all Sideshow/Hottoys packaging. Inside (pictured below) You get some nifty specs on Tony's creation and has some really well done photography of the actual toy (better than I could do) So the pics on thre box actually look like shots from the movie they're that nice.

Out of the box, IronMan stands a little over 12" tall, comes with a cool looking stand that you can position IronMan to make him look like he's flying! The set also comes with two pairs of extra hands to go along with the fisted hands. These hands are unique becouse they have LEDs in them. So when the power suit lights up, so do the energy blasters in IronMan's hands! and it looks amazing! There is a helmetless noggen of Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. And it looks bang on, looks just like him. The head, along with the extra hands are perfect proportion to the body, and that's something that ALWAYS stands out to me. I have an eye for exact proportion ;D

The armour is BEAUTIFULLY painted in IronMan's trademark Metallic Race car red and brilliant gold. Such amazing work on the paint scheme..not one bleed mark on my piece, even the small screws are painted perfectly and accurately.

The cool thing about the IronMan head, is that eventhough you get an extra head of tony Stark, the IronMan head features a flip up visor (with the light up LEDs in the eyes) and underneath is the face of Tony Stark, and it's the same face as the full head mold.


IronMan here is limited in Mobility, but not much, you can get some amazing looking action poses, like the one below, and his joints move moderately normal, we;;, as normal as a man in a suit of armour would!

Some cool little features were added into this amazing toy like the flip up forearm rockets seen in the movie. They pop back down and are hidden pretty well.

Here is my FAVORITE feature on this toy, EVERYTHING that should light up, actually lights up..and brightly(pictured below). This badBoy takes about 4 medium sized watch batteries to do this. So if they burn out, they are easily replaced. And I love things that light up, makes the 150$ price tag all the more nicer. So many expensive things come out and they do absolutely nothing! So it's nice to get these extra bonuses =)

Other really cool things about this toy are the flip up flight stabilizers and drag fins! All of the ones seen in the film, right from his feet to his shoulders!

And here is the mug of Robert Downey. Pretty spot on actually, a little mean mug looking, but he has that "don't mess with me, I'm IronMan bitch" look. And I can totally se him saying something like that. The pic below of Tony in the suit is actually a modified James Bond figure, I just swapped heads with 007 and Tony looks like he's ready to party with Euro Models =))

So there you have it, a quick look at one of the coolest Marvel based toys to ever come out. Scoop this sucker up, he's gonna be hard to find if IronMan II is anything as good as the first film. I give ol' shell head 10 out of 10 just for being a perfect rep of IronMan alone.

later folks!

P.S. The Ignite Ninja and sideshow's 212th battalian CloneTrooper from Starwars will be reviewed shortly. So hope you enjoyed this, there is more toys to come!

deadsurfkiss out!

WATCHMEN 2 DISC DIRECTOR'S CUT DVD REVIEW

IT'S HERE...FINALLY

Trade paperback cover 1987 DC comics.

Welcome! welcome! welcome! Thanks for returning for this weeks DVD review! This is a special review because it's one that I will already tell you is nothing but POSITIVE. So, the folks that saw this masterpiece in the theaters and disliked it for the most part, or who read the novel and didn't like this translation to film, then don't read any further. You won't agree with anything I say in this review. And before you judge my point of views, please read the end of this opening paragraph and think about what the wieght of Alan's words bare on this movie eventhough he wanted no part of it. "Even as the David Hayter script comes to be the closest representation of a perfect Watchmen film, I still have no intention or interest in seeing it" ~Alan Moore co~creator of the Watchmen.

With respect to Alan Moore, I understand the hardships he went through after the creation of the comic WATCHMEN. I understand the injustice and the mishandling of the property by DC comics and hope that one day Alan decides to sit down, put his emotions aside, and see this film, NOT as a compendium of "odes", cool moments or a half assed pat on the back to him, but as a truely, genuine, heart felt attempt at bringing his vision of the Watchmen from the pages to the silver screen.

IMAX Watchmen movie poster

ALSO I will point out that, if you haven't read the book yet. Close this review NOW, go out and buy Alan Moore's book and read it from cover to cover before you do anything else. In respect to Alan again, I would advise you to read the comic first and soak in what it says about the hero, politics and people in general. If you don't mind some spoilers or don't care either way, then read on and enjoy!!

Just for the record: WARNING! SOME SPOILERS AHEAD! =P

The Watchmen From L to R, The Comedian, Silk Specktre, Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias, and NiteOwl. Watchmen Movie. Warner bros 2008.

PLOT AND "THE BIG PICTURE"

OK, before I get into the review of the actual film, I want to briefly explain to the uninitiated what exactly the Watchmen is. Well, Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987.This is a story that looks at a world filled with masked heroes and villains, an alternate reality if you will. In this alternate reality, society has taken up vigilant lifestyles in order to help clean the streets of our cities. The villains threw on masks, so the strongest, fastest and most intellectual in the communities decided to give the hooded criminals back thier own medicine, and fight back. Here rose a resistance of colorful, heroic, and also eccentric crime fighters to help take back the streets and keep the communities safe. Many formed teams and fought crime on a nightly basis, then went back to thier alternate jobs and lives and to look after thier children.

Empire Magazine cover, Rorshcach.

Watchmen takes place in an alternate history United States where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, eventually helping the United States to win the Vietnam War. The country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most costumed superheroes are forced into retirement or working for the government in some shape or form. The story focuses on the personal development and struggles of a handful of heroes as an investigation into the murder of a government sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement and eventually leads them to confront a plot to stave off nuclear war by killing millions of people.

Watchmen character promos seen on billboards around the world.

That's a quick rundown of the story and concept behind the Watchmen. Pretty simple right? The idea that normal people would take up arms and don a mask to keep thier loved ones safe, to keep thier beliefs safe...way of life safe. But such things aren't always so cut and dry. Because in this story, it's the odd twists and turns, and eccentricities of particular characters that change the actual definition of what a hero really is. The book dissects and deconstructs the "hero" in such a way to ask, "does a hero really fall in this catagory or that catagory?" Or can a hero always be defined as "good?" is there a GREY area here? well..there most certainly is...and lots of them...

ON TO THE FILM!

The death/birth of Jon Osterman(aka Dr Manhattan). Watchmen film. Warner bros 2008.

RISE OF THE SUPERMAN

A young scientist named Dr. Jon Osterman (Played by Billy Crudup)became a super being~like god after a failed experiment. And was approached by the Nixon administration to help with the war in Vietnam. They named him Dr. Manhattan and he ended the Vietnam war single handedly with their quick and swift surrender. And this Dr Manhattan would be an integral key player in the formation of the Watchmen team as well as the events culminating in this fantastic story.

During the "golden age " of these super heroes, many of them were hired as government operatives and influenced events in history (such as the Vietnam war mentioned earlier) and the assasinaton of JFK. Many were hired to help finish problems that "normal" people couldn't or didn't want to do. By the 1980s, however, All masked vigilantes as well as the Watchmen have been outlawed by Nixon (the very people that helped him get to a 3rd term) after an outpouring of anti-vigilante sentiment in the country, and tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union have escalated the Cold War with threats of nuclear attack.

Rorshcach in action.Watchmen film 2008.

By 1985, only three adventurers remain active: the Comedian (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) Doctor Manhattan, both of whom act with government sanction, and the masked vigilante Rorschach (played amazingly by Jackie Earle Haley), who refuses to retire and remains active illegally. Investigating the murder of government agent Edward Blake, Rorschach discovers that Blake was the Comedian, concluding that someone is trying to eliminate the original Watchmen. He goes off to warn his former comrades—the emotionally detached Dr. Jon Osterman (Doctor Manhattan) and his lover Laurie Jupiter (Silk Spectre, played by Malin Akerman), Daniel Dreiberg (Nite Owl, played superbly by Patrick Wilson), and Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias, played by Matthew goode)—but Rorschach makes little progress.

Page from the watchmen Comic.(c) DC Comics 1986.

After Blake's funeral, Dr. Manhattan is accused of causing the cancers afflicting his former girlfriend and colleagues from before the accident that turned him into the being he is now. Manhattan exiles himself to Mars, giving the Soviet Union the confidence to invade Afghanistan in his absence. Later, Rorschach's conspiracy theory appears to be justified when Adrian, who had long since made his identity as Ozymandias public before retiring, narrowly avoids an assassination attempt, with Rorschach finding himself framed for the murder of Moloch, and then sent to prison.

Nite Owl and Silk Spectre Pay a friend a visit. Watchmen movie. Warner Bro 2008.

This is as far as I will go without giving away the story to you. I find it important for all of you to discover this story on your own and take from it the differant perspectives and thoughts it creates in the mind. I read reviews of this and they are certainly mixed, with most, thankfully, in the positives. Many of the major reviewers and film scholars loved this film and praised it as the book was praised. I think the likability of this film lies in the understanding of political motives and the notion that "heroes aren't always heroes". I think for people expecting to read batman or spiderman, will be shocked or maybe turned off from this movie as well as the book. And quite frankly, I think they deserve it...

CHARACTERS OF THE WATCHMEN AND THE CAST WHO PORTRAYED THEM

Akerman as Silk Spectre. (c) Warner bros.

Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II: In the film the surname Juspeczyk appears briefly on screen when Laurie wears Nite Owl's visor, identifying her fingerprints. The character prefers the name Juspeczyk, as Jupiter is just a surname that her mother went by during World War II so that people would not know of her Polish background. I really liked Malin's performance. I was surprised with some scenes that thankfully were not cut from the controversial comic and was smiling when she pulled those particular scenes off with ease. You'll know the scenes when you see them, she's a tough girl ;)

Haley as Rorshach. (c) Warner Bros.


Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach: A masked vigilante who continues his vigilante activities after they are outlawed. WOW WOW WOW .....All I can say, nuff said, I will NOT go into this character here. He has to be seen to be believed. The character from he comic is a cynical, depressed, conspiracy crazed soul who wears an ink blot mask because he relates to that face over his own torchured, pain riddled visage. EVERYTHING he does in this film, the way he moves, the fight scenes, the lines executed.....absolutely perfect, you can't get any better than this. Rorschach is BADASS!!! Best character in the film.

Wilson as Nite Owl standing infront of the Owl ship. (c) Warner bros.

Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreiberg / Nite Owl II: A retired superhero with technological experience. I read somewhere that John Cusack, a fan of the comic book, expressed interest in the role. While Cusack would have been great, I can't help wonder if he would have been great enough. And being the only "big name" attached to this film, it would have looked odd to have only the one big actor attached to the project when everyone else are almost no names. Wilson put on 25 lbs to play the overweight Dreiberg. He compared Dreiberg to a soldier who returns from war unable to fit into society. Wilson said the fight style he was instructed to give Nite Owl was "heavy-handed and power coordinated" and more military hand to hand combat based. I loved Nite Owl, they got everything right with him as well, right down to Daniels "personal Malfunctions" as a man. Wilson did an awesome job! I was thinking of Patrick Warburton (The Tick) as a great choice for NiteOwl, but Wilson nailed the part.

Dr Manhattan in the flesh. Watchmen Movie. Warner Bros. 2008


Billy Crudup as Dr. Jon Osterman / Doctor Manhattan: A REAL superhero with genuine powers who works for the U.S. government. Keannu Reeves at one time had interest in the role of Manhattan, I'm glad he chose to opt out. It's the same sentiment with John Cusack, This story is best left told through characters that don't seem quite recognizable and using lesser known actors achieves this. As well as playing Osterman in flashback as a human, for his post-accident scenes as Dr. Manhattan, Crudup is replaced in the film with a motion-capture CG version of himself. During filming, Crudup acted opposite his co-stars, wearing a white suit covered in blue LEDs, so he would give off an otherworldly glow in real life, just as the computer-generated Manhattan does in the movie. The special effects technicians considered that Dr. Manhattan is supposed to be a god-like being who after his accident tries to create the perfect human form with a well-formed physique and extreme musculature. For this purpose, his body was modeled on that of fitness model and actor Greg Plitt. The crew then 3D-digitized Crudup's head into the CG creation of Manhattan. The other idea was to use a rubber suit, and I'm really glad they didn't go the rubber suit path in fears that it would look just like that, a rubber suit. There is controversy revolving around the fact that most of Manhattans scenes were in the nude, save for some public appearances and being "on the job" Well, my oppinion is this. The blue penis is shown in the comics, so why not portray him as he is meant to be portrayed? As someone godly, who moves through the world unflinching, and unapologetically. The voice work Crudup suplied was also supurb, reminding me of HAL from 2001 a space odessey. It was perfect for the sombre, contemplative and alone Manhattan and quickly gave him relative humanity even though he was becoming a god.

Ozymandias. Promo poster for Watchmen. (c) Warner Bros.

Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias: A retired superhero who has since made his identity public. The role of Ozymandias was originally connected to actor Tom Cruise. I'm glad this was not happening because it would have been a disaster. For one, Cruise is too small! Snyder said Goode was "big and tall and lean", which aided in bringing "this beautiful ageless, Aryan superman" feel to the character. Goode interpreted Veidt's back-story to portray him with a German accent in private and an American one in public; Goode explained Veidt gave up his family's wealth and traveled the world, becoming a self-made man because he was ashamed of his parents' Nazi past, which in turn highlighted the themes of the American Dream and the character's duality. Ozymandias's character proved a hard time casting, because they needed someone handsome, beautiful and sophisticated in an angelic way, and that's a tough combo. Orlando bloom was thought of, but again it came down to size, he just wasn't big enough. I love what Goode did as Veidt/Ozy.

The Comedian. Watchmen subway promo poster. (c) Warner bros.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake / The Comedian: A superhero who is commissioned by the U.S. government. LOVED this character, it's the pivotal character that sets off the events in the movies plot and I'd be terrified if I had to portray this complex character in a film. But Morgan pulled it off to a tee, completely nailed Blake no problem. Some funny trivia I found: Morgan asked Snyder if The Comedian could swear more in the script. Of his casting, Snyder said, "It's hard to find a man's man in Hollywood. It just is. And Jeffrey came in and was grumpy and cool and grizzled, and I was, like, 'OK, Jeffrey is perfect!'"

Sally Jupiter. Watchmen poster promo. (c) Warner Bros.

Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre: A retired superheroine, mother of Laurie Jupiter and the first Silk Spectre. Gugino's character ages from 25 years old in the 1940s to 67 years old in the 1980s, and the 37-year-old actress wore prosthetics to reflect the aging process. Gugino described her character's superhero outfit as an influence of Bettie Page-meets-Alberto Vargas. The actress donned the trademark hairdo of the character, though it was shaped to be more plausible for the film. She also posed for the Alberto Vargas-style pin-ups of her character and a painting meant to be done by Norman Rockwell, which she enjoyed because she was fascinated by Vargas. One of those Vargas Styled paintings are seen on the side of Enola gay, the bomber that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.

The Minutemen, a precursory team to the Watchmen. (c) Warner bros.

Matt Frewer as Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic: An elderly rehabilitated criminal, known when he was younger as an underworld kingpin and magician. Matt Frewer if you remember the old TV show Max Headroom played Max, a computer generated think tank that originated from the old pepsi commercials slogans "Catch the wave". Frewer was also great in the Dawn of the Dead remake. I enjoy this guys work because you never see him as much as you'd like, so it was an awesome treat to see him play Moloch in this film. And Played him great!! Frewer is an acting genius.
Stephen McHattie as Hollis Mason / Nite Owl: The first vigilante to take up the mantle of Nite Owl. I loved all of Hollis Mason's parts in the comic, and I love them more in this film. He's the old "war story' guy at the bar that doesn't have a problem sitting down with a young buck and telling him about the old days. Well, this was even more of the case, especially with Daniel Drieberg's and Hollis Mason's relationship. Hollis was the old Nite Owl in the 40's and 50's and Daniel took over the mantle of Nite Owl after Mason. And they are friends to this day. Hollis is the father figure to daniel, and it worked beautifully in the film!
Danny Woodburn as Big Figure: A dwarf crime boss whom Rorschach and Nite Owl put in prison fifteen years prior. WoodBurn was perfect for Big Figure, especially in the scenes opposite Rorschach in the prison.

The rest of the characters were small appearances and cameos, but where well placed in the film
Niall Matter as Byron Lewis / Mothman: He is not a main focus of the storyline, but appears in flashbacks, at one point reduced in his later years to fragile sanity.
Dan Payne as Bill Brady / Dollar Bill: A first-generation crime fighter who caught his cape in a revolving door during a bank robbery and was shot to death. Payne is a fan of the comic and shot his scenes over four days, both for his cameo in the theatrical cut and the fictionalized DVD documentary.
Apollonia Vanova as Ursula Zandt / Silhouette: A former member of the Minutemen who was forced into retirement after her status as a lesbian became public knowledge. She and her partner were later murdered by a former arch villain. This woman is gorgeous!
Glenn Ennis as Rolf Müller / Hooded Justice: The first masked vigilante to appear in the 1930s. Was involved in a sham relationship with the first Silk Spectre to hide his homosexuality. Later thought to be killed by The Comedian.
Darryl Scheelar as Nelson Gardner / Captain Metropolis: An ex-Marine and one of the founding members of the Minutmen.

The imfamous blue penis. Dr Manhattan as he appeared in the Watchmen comic. DC comics (c)

Although he intended to stay faithful to the look of the characters in the comic, Snyder wanted Nite Owl to look scarier and Ozymandias to possess authentic Egyptian attire and artifacts, as evident of these all through Ozy's living and work spaces. Ultimately, Oyzmandias, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre changed most from the comic in my oppinion, as audiences might not appreciate the naiveté of the original costumes and think of them looking TOO campy or comic~booky. So, there has been some effort to give them a modern look — and not modern in the sense of 2007, but modern in terms of the superhero aesthetic. The changes really work, especially for NiteOwl, the costumes had to look realistic and protective, and that the Nite Owl costume should reflect Dan's interest in aerodynamics. The chain mail in his costume resemble a bird's feathers also which was wicked I think, like a mechanical look to him.

The sets were amazing! Nixon's war room pays direct and obvious tribute to the war room in the film Dr. Strangelove (another one of my favorites). Dr. Manhattan's apartment, which is inside his laboratory, looked like the work of Maison Jansen. The apartment also echoes the film The Man Who Fell to Earth, with a book prop named Masterpieces in Paint and Poetry and a tennis courtroom with similar wallpaper. So there was alot of Odes to great flicks like Seven and BladeRunner with all the grizzled and wet back alley ways, neon signs everywhere and brightly lit air ships and enormous bright billboards..just screamed BladeRunner..Loved it!

Promo poster for Watchmen. (c)Warner bros.

MUSIC AND SOUND

The film uses some of the songs mentioned in the comic. One of the songs is "The Times They Are a-Changin'" by Bob Dylan. My Chemical Romance, whose members are fans of the comic, covered Dylan's "Desolation Row" for the first half of the closing credits. The film also features two pieces from Philip Glass' score to 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi accompanying the birth of Dr. Manhattan. Those pieces worked well during manhattan's heartbreaking narration about what happened in his life leading up to the point were he decides to leave earth. There was alot of great music used in the film, songs like "99 red balloons" used to memphasize a point in time and this was really effective! The majority of the films musical atmosphere was composed by Tyler bates and intergrated well with the chosen tracks for the film.

Three's company. The controversial threesome in the watchmen. Written by Alan Moore.

DVD's, SPECIAL EDITIONS AND A WORD ON SURPRISE ADDITIONS OF FAN WISH SEQUENCES

Snyder's first cut of the film was three hours long. In keeping the film tight, Snyder dubbed himself "the gatekeeper" of the comic's easter eggs, "while [the studio] conspired to say, 'No. Length, length, length. Playability.' And these are the best words I think I've ever found come out of a director's mouth~ Zack Snyder"I've lost perspective on that now, because to me, the honest truth is I geek out on little stuff now as much as anybody. Like, people will go, 'We've got to cut. You don't need that shot of Hollis Mason's garage sign.' And I'm like, 'What are you talking about? Of course you do. Are you crazy? How will people enjoy the movie without shit like that in it?' So it's hard for me." Snyder also furthered this geek theory by adding the murder of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl, back into the extended director's cut. And it's a beautiful scene! I can't think of this watchmen film without it now since I was expecting to see it in the theater and didn't. It's an important shot and is one of those "in the wrong place at the wrong time" kind of things that fate seems to take advantage of. It's really beautiful but sad at the same time.

Rorschach and his nifty grappling gun. Watchmen (c) Warner bros.

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 21, 2009. The Blu-ray contains Maximum Movie Mode, which plays the movie along with a video presentation by director Zack Snyder, and includes behind-the-scenes footage, comic comparisons, trivia, and more. In December, 2009, an "Ultimate Collector's Edition" will be released. The five-disc set will include the director's cut of the film with Tales of the Black Freighter woven in, new commentaries by Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons, the complete Watchmen Motion Comics, and over 2 hours of bonus content including Under the Hood, which was previously released on the Tales of the Black Freighter DVD. So this is a fine, splendid DVD in my hands here as a director's cut, but if you like the large DVD collections you might want to save your money for that one!

DID I LIKE THE CHANGES TO THE STORY?

Well in one word I would sum it changes up as "livable" or "acceptable". He extended the fight scenes, and added a subplot about energy resources to make the film more topical and current. Although he intended to stay faithful to the look of the characters in the comic, Snyder intended Nite Owl to look scarier so he changed the brown (more owl looking duds) to a more darker, brooding looking character reminiscent of the modern incarnations of Batman (which is the point really, Nite Owl is a parody of a less experienced, less initiated and less ballsy Bruce Wayne). Ozymandias' armor, again a parody of the rubber muscle suits from 1997's Batman & Robin was quite evident and made sense also since they, as heroes were becoming parodies of themselves anyways, and Ozymandias was a leech for spectacle. So it worked nicely and wasn't so cring worthy after all. NOW, the end of the story has the nay sayers up in arms. It's essentially the same ending as the book, but with a change in tactic, and perhaps motive. The grand, epic outcome is the same though, the message is the same as well. It's just, if you're expecting that "thing" that's supposed to be at the end of the book, than you will be kinda disappointed. And I think the change works because movie fans would jump all over the "oh it's just a rip off of Cloverfield" nonsense! And I think it would have hurt the movie tremendously. So yeah, the changes were obvious..but they were well sanctioned and validated for this watchmen enterpretation.

AND FINALLY A FINAL WORD TO THE VIEWER!

Like this review, the film is LONG....just warning you if you do not enjoy long films. The theatrical release was close to 3 hrs, This DVD set has an extra 25 minutes added back into it, putting it over the 3 hr mark easily, and they are all valuable minutes added, like the Hollis Mason Murder. My final mark for this film is ...yes, you are correct....10 out of fucking 10 and nothing..NOTHING les than that! This has to be one of, if not the greatest superhero story ever told. And this movie came close to about 99.5% of what Alan Moore strived for. So get this, watch this, experience this. Go watch the watchmen! Nuff said!

Over and out!

Deadsurfkiss!

VALKYRIE 2 DISC SPECIAL EDITION REVIEW!

Ahh! Welcome back movie fans! For this marks the return of my DVD reviews. Honestly, not alot has been coming out lately that I've been inclined to pick up on DVD. May and june were very slow for releases, so I turned my interests towards another love of mine, toy collecting! =P So I hope you all enjoyed those collectible reviews, there will be more, there's some nice stuff coming out in the following months including the MUCH anticipated shipment of Sideshow's Darth Vader 14" 1/6th scale figure! So we'll definitely be looking at that.

I recently picked up the new DVD release for what I think is one of Tom Cruises BEST films to date, Valkyrie. Before I get into the actual DVD and the goodies that it has to offer I must stress to you that this is a war film. If you don't like war films, then I think this is not a review you want to waste your time on, simple. I've gotten minor criticism about only watching, reviewing and catering to science fiction, horror or fantasy. And that's fine, I take criticism very well especially if it's somewhat true. Honestly, I haven't seen a good drama or period, or non-fiction story in a bit since I've started these blog reviews. So, to break the misconception that I only like Horror and fantasy, I give you a drama, period, and true~to~life piece ALL in one! Don't you feel special? ;P

Alright before I get into the actual film, I'd like to talk about the extra's first. That's right. The reason is this, in reality, this film almost was never made. The reason? Partly because of the casting of christian science following Tom Cruise. Christian science is seen as a totalitarian organization and is banned in Germany. Also, It was frowned upon that an american studio chose to do a film on the story of Germany's only honoured war time heroes. German officials are always tough to convince when thier history is involved. Especialy when americans get their hands on it. Thank the gods, this film was in the right hands, thier hard work is detailed in the extras.
The two-disc Special Edition Valkyrie DVD set contains nearly an hour of video bonus materials. The best is "The Valkyrie Legacy," a 42-minute History Channel documentary. Here historians and spokesmen for the German Resistance Memorial Center talk about the events dramatized in the feature film. You can see archival photos of the real-life people depicted in the movie, and you can hear from two of Stauffenberg's children, one of whom was born in a concentration camp. The documentary shows that Berlin streets have been named for at least three of the 1944 conspirators, including Stauffenbergstrasse, named for the character portrayed by Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise as Wehrmacht Colonel Claus Von Stouffenberg.

There's also the so-so "The Journey to Valkyrie," a 16-minute making-of featurette in which cast and crew talk about the movie. Perhaps the most interesting thing concerns the Bendlerblock, the building in Berlin that during World War II was Supreme Headquarters of the Army. Because certain historical events took place at the Bendlerblock, it now has special significance, and German officials were even more fussy about permitting filming at this site. There were difficulties and delays in obtaining permission to shoot a key Valkyrie scene in the Bendlerblock courtyard, and before filming there, cast and crew paused for a moment of silence to indicate respect for the German Resistance.

The DVD set provides two separate feature-length audio commentaries, both containing a wealth of detail, much of which is indepth and valued to film buff/students like myself. If you decide to tackle these, the one with Tom Cruise, director Bryan Singer and producer/screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie is of greater general interest. They state they were going for a broad audience and that they didn't want to punish the audience. They wanted to make a film in the tradition of The Great Escape (1963), The Devil's Brigade (1968) and Patton (1970), and Valkyrie is in many ways old-fashioned. For purposes of authenticity, the movie required lots of research, including plowing through Gestapo records. Nearly all the shooting was done in and around Berlin, much of it at legendary Babelsberg Studios, where famous films like Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) and Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (1930) were made. However, the North African scenes were shot in the California desert near Victorville.

In the second audio commentary, McQuarrie returns, this time paired with the other screenwriter, Nathan Alexander. McQuarrie claims the genesis of the idea for the screenplay came when he was touring Berlin in 2002 and saw a memorial plaque naming four soldiers, one of which was Stauffenberg. He learned that these were the only World War II military personnel honored by Germany, and he decided to write a screenplay to tell their story, although he never expected anyone would be willing to actually film it. My favorite little segment in that commentary is his advice to aspiring screenwriters: "Write the movie that you want to see." problebly something most students and aspiring writers/directors lose touch with.

Tresckow(Branagh), Stouffenberg(Cruise)At Hitler's Berghof estate amongst the furer's advisors.

So this 2 disc (3 if you include the digital copy of the movie, a waste of time if you ask me) is kinda on the slim side as far as "extras" but the ones included were fair and provided some nice retrospective into this intriguing german resistance story. And I really enjoyed the commentary tracks because as I usually point out, If you are or going to be a film student then these are the things you should look for while buying DVDs. It's nice to hear the director, or writer, or film actors and crew talk about the art in which they created. It's funny sometimes, because you have one impression or idea of the film, and the creators always open up a new angle or perspective for you. I like that!

THE STORY (MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS!!!!) This is a true historical event, I'm honoring it by giving you a guide line of that event. The Story is closely based on the july 20, 1944 plot to kill Adolf Hitler. There was a secret emergency plan created and it was called operation Valkyrie. It was designed to "cleans" the german government of unfavorable and evil elements, mainly Hitlers SS governing cabinet. During World War II, Wehrmacht Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) is serving with the 10th Panzer Division in Tunisia. A pair of British P-40 Warhawk fighters strafe the Germans, during which Stauffenberg is wounded, and is later evacuated home to Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, Major General Henning von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh) attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler by smuggling a bomb aboard the Führer's private airplane. The bomb, however, fails to detonate and Tresckow safely retrieves it to conceal his intentions. After learning that the Gestapo has arrested Major Hans Oster, he orders General Friedrich Olbricht(Bill Nighy) to find a replacement. After recruiting von Stauffenberg into the German Resistance, Olbricht delivers von Stauffenberg to a meeting of the secret committee, which has coordinated previous attempts on Hitler's life. The members include General Ludwig Beck (Terence Stamp), Dr. Carl Goerdeler (Phil McNally), and Erwin von Witzleben (Schofield). The Colonel is stunned to learn that no plans exist for after Hitler's assassination. After a bombing raid on Berlin, he lights upon using the plan Operation Valkyrie, which involves the deployment of the Reserve Army to maintain order in the event of a national emergency. The plotters carefully redraft the plan so that they can dismantle the Nazi regime after assassinating Hitler, by overthrowing the Schutzstaffel and imprisoning Hitler's closest advisors. Realizing that only General Friedrich Fromm (Tom Wilkinson), the head of the Reserve Army, can initiate Valkyrie, they offer him a position as head of the Wehrmacht in a post-Nazi Germany and recruit him into the fold: however, Fromm initially refuses. With the rewritten plan needing to be signed off by Hitler (Bamber) himself, von Stauffenberg visits the Führer at his Berghof estate in Bavaria. In the presence of his inner circle, Hitler praises von Stauffenberg's heroism in North Africa and signs off on the plan without fully examining the modifications.

Fire fight at the Bendlerblock.

At Goerdeler's insistence, von Stauffenberg is ordered to assassinate both Hitler and SS head Heinrich Himmler at the Wolf's Lair bunker. At a final briefing, Colonel Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim (Berkel) instructs the committee members in how to use pencil detonators. Von Stauffenberg also reaches out to General Erich Fellgiebel (Izzard), who controls all communications at Wolf's Lair, to cut off communications after the bomb blast. On July 15, 1944, von Stauffenberg attends a strategy meeting at Wolf's Lair with the bomb in his briefcase, but with Himmler not present at the meeting, von Stauffenberg does not get the go-ahead from the committee leaders until the meeting is over. Meanwhile, the Reserve Army is mobilized by Olbricht, unbeknownst to Fromm, to stand by. With no action taken, von Stauffenberg safely extracts himself and the bomb from the bunker, and the Reserve Army is ordered to stand down, believing that the mobilization was training. Enraged, von Stauffenberg goes to the committee to protest the indecisiveness and blames the bungling on Goerdeler, who has been selected to be chancellor after the coup. When Goerdeler demands that von Stauffenberg be relieved, Beck informs him that the SS is searching for him and implores him to leave the country immediately.

On July 20, 1944, von Stauffenberg and his adjutant Lieutenant Werner von Haeften (Parker) return to the Wolf's Lair. To von Stauffenberg's dismay, he discovers that the conference is being held in an open-window summer barracks, where as the plotters had intended to detonate the bomb within the walls of the bunker for maximum damage. While his adjutant waits with a getaway car, von Stauffenberg leaves the briefcase at the meeting. With the bomb armed, von Stauffenberg leaves the barracks (thanks to a diversion caused by Fellgiebel) for the getaway car. When the bomb explodes, von Stauffenberg is certain that Hitler is dead and flees the Wolf's Lair, bluffing his way past a checkpoint. Before shutting down communications, Fellgiebel calls Mertz about the explosion but cannot clearly convey whether or not the Führer is dead.
As von Stauffenberg flies back to Berlin, Olbricht refuses to mobilize the Reserve Army until he knows without a doubt that Hitler is dead. Behind Olbricht's back, Mertz forges his signature and issues the orders anyway. With Operation Valkyrie underway, von Stauffenberg and his fellow plotters order the arrest of Nazi party leaders and SS officers and begin to take control of Berlin's government quarter, which will allow them to command the entire Reich. Rumors reach Berlin that Hitler survived the blast, but von Stauffenberg dismisses them as SS propaganda. Meanwhile, Fromm learns from Field Marshal Keitel that Hitler is still alive. The General refuses to join the plotters, resulting in his arrest. When Hitler reaches the Reserve Army by telephone, the SS officers are released and the plotters in turn are besieged inside the Bendlerblock. The headquarters staff flees, but the ringleaders are arrested. Most are eventually tried and executed, while some commit suicide. Von Stauffenberg shouts "Long live sacred Germany!" before being executed by a firing squad.

Stouffenberg (cruise) on his way to meet with Hitler.

THE ACTING, PRODUCTION, AND OVERALL IMPRESSION
It's lush, beautifully shot, and rich with real german historical locations which actually pertain to the story itself, such as the Bendlerblock located in Berlin. Brian Singer(XMen, Apt Pupil, The Usual Suspects) Has a unique style and is always conscious of detail. So historical locations and uniforms and vehicles were always used when needed. The clothing and uniforms are top notch and perfect from the Afrika Corps scenes to Berlin. I've seen many a war film and these are the closest you can get I think. They may have been taylored from real museum pieces because every single costume including the non military and civilian period fashions look great. The mood is very old fashioned and true to the period (which actually starts in 1939). Speaking of mood, the scenes with Hitler were chilling. The camera angles were low to the ground and the music was kinda scary sounding. I think they wanted to bring across the idea that even Hitler's closest friends, colleges and officers were terrified of him. The scenes with Hitler were almost designed to not entirely show his face, but still paint the ominous portayal of a leader who was imperially looked at as a dark inhuman presence. He's always equated with the beast or "devil" And in this, he seems like it. This whole film is eye candy for German historical buffs and war film lovers. EVERYTHING was scaled to look like it was straight out of the 1940's.

The acting was great, but I can't help but think that Tom Cruise was also chosen for the role, not only for his great acting ability, but also for his striking resemblence to Stauffenberg. The resemblence is amazing actually. My favorite scenes in this film were the ones in Tunisia, during the Afrika Corps SS occupation. I think Cruise was top notch here. His anger and strife seems to never change from film to film. But in this it didn't annoy me at all. I guess if you've done enough films, you can only do anger and strife so many ways. So A minor little gripe, but he's in his element with building suspensful scenes. Kenneth Branagh and Bill Nighy are also great in this, you can see the internal conflicts in the decisions of these characters. You can see the wieght of consequence on their faces. It was something that had to be done. Someone needed to take a stand and change Germany.So the portrayal of the idea and the final exicution of said idea was beautifully mapped out in the internal turmoils of these characters. The tension and suspense built up to the final scenes of this film were fluidly and progressively executed. I loved it. One of the best war stories on film right now I think.

Alright, I've Babbled long enough about this film, I give it a 9 out of 10, pure and simple. My one squabble was with Cruises trademark ranting and raving like a lunatic. But, as I've mentoned, I give him credit for tackling such a complex historical figure as Claus Von Stouffenberg was. Not an easy feat for anyone I would suspect.I'm a huge fan of almost everything Brian Singer does, and this is an amazing accomplishment to his film resume. See this film even if you're not a war film fan. The reason I think, is that history paints germany as the "bad guy" when in actuality, it was the leaders who were the bad guys. We need to remember the heroes of that great war...on both sides.

Deadsurfkiss

TOY REVIEWS! FIRST UP, THE CHATTERER FROM HELLRAISER! KEEP SCROLLING DOWN! WE HAVE REVIEWS FOR MASTERPIECE STARSCREAM AND SIDESHOW'S SNAKE EYES!

Alright. First up out of my trilogy of toy reviews this week, is problebly one of the creepiest toys you could ever own. Aside from McFarlane's Clive Barker inspired TORTURED SOULS figure line and Jack the Ripper from MEZCO TOYS (It comes with a woman's bloodied, severed uterus.......O_O....Exactly) This is Chatterer from Clive Barker's twisted imagination, and Hellraiser movies!

OK lets get started shall we? Chatterer here is HUUUGGEEE!! He stands 19 inches all out of the box(beware..LOADS of twistie ties..took me 20 minutes to get him out!), he has articulation at the shoulders, neck, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. And Stands perfectly I might add! He's posed in almost as if he's gonna try and sneak up on you. And when you see the meat hook ended chain this guy is walkin' around with, you don't want him coming up behind you to ask you if he can borrow a shirt or something. Even if this guy TRIED to be nice as pie, you'd still shit your drawers! This guy is SCARY....

I doubt Chatterer is a vegatarian. I mean, I didn't see him slip over to the salad buffet in any of the HellRaiser movies ever so I think that's pretty obvious even with those bloody hooks, he's jones'n for some red meat. The chain has a corroded brown rust look along with the dried up brown blood paint app. And it looks real, which is what I look for in my toys ;)

But man is he ugly! =S

Now does this look like a face you could trust? Or confide in? Exactly, me niether, but he does his job, and that's to scare EVERYONE in sight. I remember when I first saw this guy on screen. I mean Pinhead is scary and creepy, but come on!! This guys teeth are clicking NON STOP! He has no eyes, yet he lurches over toward you slowly and surely. It was scary stuff then, and scary stuff now that I have one in my house haha!

Alright, the S&M-like suit Chatterer wears is made to look and feel like thick, but smooth leather and they pulled that off nicely! It has all these slits and zippers and holes and such exposing the surgical torture this guy went through as Pinhead created him (I guess in the back story, all the Cenobites are "experiments" of Pinhead himself) So yeah, this guy has the look of being tortured, mutilated, cut up, diced, sliced open until death, and then revived LOL! ...It's a tough life for a Cenobite! ;D

Alright some sick as hell, but equally as cool features on this dude, there is a leather like flap that rises up behind his head, and it covers up an incision from the top of his head and down his neck...O_O And it looks wet and freshly opened, so be warned, it ain't pretty in the pic below! haha!

you can actually take your thumb, as I'm doing, and "peel" the soft skin open around the head and see the cranium, and nerve membrane of this guys skull, and I must say it looks legit....and kinda painful!

Cool, alright on to this guys mouth. Any dentist would recommend a teeth whitening appointment for Chatterer. But honestly, would you really be so inclined to pass that info on to him? Right, the teeth...as they do in the movie, they do here as well. You flip a lil' switch on this sucker's back and presto! click! click! click! click! click! He begins to chatter as he perfects that creepy, eyeless stare........truely disturbing to hear that sound come out of this, This is NOT a toy you want under the christmas tree for little Johny. Unless you were purposely setting out to ruin the kids weekly sleep pattern! The soft rubbery mouth has surgical hooks keeping the lips and tissue pulled back, and I think it wouldn't be the same without them, it just looks effin' creepy! The rubber is really soft too, so the chattering jaws can do their thing flawlessly.

Pictured above and below, are the openings in the suit that expose his surgical scars, and he has alot. Looks like Pinhead went to town on whoever this guy was before he turned him into Chatterer. Like the skin on the head, you can pull the costume around and see more scars and wierd scribbled hieroglyphics all over his body from a razor. Seriously, this guy is the EMO of emos! =P

K, I love horror, and gory stuff and shit like the next movie fan. Anyone who is a horror fan or loves stuff from Clive Barker? This thing screams Clive Barker, it literally has him written all over him ;) haha! The weathered looking leather, the rusty chain, the blood slattered hooks and fingers, the surgical scars, the teeth......man, everything is done wickedly on him! NECA created one of the scariest toys to ever come out, and this folks is it right here. He's been out for a couple years. I tried to look for him a couple moons back but could never find him. And he was not produced as heavily as the PinHead one...so he's actually kinda scarce right now. If you can find one, I recommend just showing him to peoples who enjoy horror because this one is disturbing to the uninitiated! I give Chatterer a 10 out of 10 for STILL scaring me and wierding me the hell out! The things I enjoy paying for! =D

Oh, check out the last photo. I only realised it when I looked at it when I put this short review together. But it looks as though he's walking out from my back porch! It actually looks like a dude in a suit, or worse.............the real thing (que scary musakz!)

Alright, I'm out of here! Have a great week everyone!

Movie reviews will resume as normal this week, there's about 4 coming up that I'm gonna look at, so stay tuned for that! Peace!

Deadsurfkiss

TOY REVIEW:TAKARA'S MASTERPIECE STARSCREAM

HEY everyone! Alright, last week I recieved this collectable that I ordered off of eBay (along with Snake Eyes). Generally, I stay away from the masterpiece editions of toys because they're usually over 200$ haha! And I don't know too many people that spend that kind of cash on toys. So I saw this puppy for 20$ canadian, and eventually got into a bidding war with two other bidders. 70$ later and I came out on top! =P Alright, I FINALLY got this in the mail...and man, I can honestly say, if this was a 100$ canadian, I'd still pick it up as I realize the engineering in this guy. This thing is AWESOME! If you're a robot fan, or a Transformers freak like me, than StarScream here is a sweet add to your collection. The Packaging is ok, it has a 2 piece "clam shell" that you simply just pull apart. All the missile pieces and the base are inside. Pretty collector friendly, no tape, or twisties to worry about.

The jet is an f~15 class fighter, just like StarScream was in the comics and cartoon and is about 9 to 10 inches long. What's differant is the color sceme from the general concept of StarScream. Purists may not like StarScreams "gun metal" look. But honestly, he looks realistic, with all the labeling and burn marks around the tail fins and the after burners. Whereas StarScreams original colors are a white body, with red and blue trimming(and you can find that version in those colors through WAL-mart)........now I love StarScream, but come on, he looks like a stunt plane or a trainer jet! So the color scheme here works for me.

Some of the cool features added into this jet are the intergrated rader in the nose cone. You just simply push the nose tip to the side and the rader is exposed, simple. Another cool thing is the addition of a pilot. But this is no ordinary pilot, more like an abductee. In the cartoon, the decepticons kidnaped a human scientist. This is the scientist, Doctor Archeville. Very cool touches are the intergration of the decepticon faction symbol into the U.S. flag and the Airforce crests. Instead of the usual "serve and protect" slogans that you generally see on american or british fighter craft, it reads "victory is paved with the ashes of our enemies" ..pretty straight forward that these bad guys aren't kidding around.

The wing stabilizers and tail fins (pictured above) are adjustible, and the thruster cylinders of the after burners are adjustable as well.

When transformed, StarScream Stands about 8-9 inches tall. And compared to the 7+ inches tall you get from the Alternators. He's an accurate size and fits in with them fine. He's got 2 hands with lots of articulation in the fingers even! In the head he has the choice of 2 differant faces as well. An angry/serious face and one with a smirk. In the comic lore and cartoon, it's common knowledge that StarScream is a mouthy talk-backer who smirks with his charming banter. And he's also got a pretty big ego. I mean, he's the only one who questions Megatron's orders....who the hell does that and survives? Well, this guy right here. I guess Meg's is just tolerant enough of him to not take him seriously. But this is usually megatrons vice: Underestimating his enemies and comrades....because StarScream would kill Megatron and steal the title of leadership in a heartbeat if given even half a chance. This masterpiece edition of SS looks like the cartoon SS and still has the realistic alt mode to boot. And he changes similar to the older G1 toy, save for a couple adjustments.

The missiles from the wings are now laser cannons on his tricep area (do robots have triceps? ..hmmm) The second set of rockets fit on the back of the wings (pictured below)and they can barely be seen from the front. So this guy is full of surprises in a fight. Like the Optimus Prime MasterPiece edition, StarScream has cool looking hydraulics in the elbow and knee area. And they are functioning hydraulics that don't take away from the posibility of the overall figure. They also help support and hold positions well.

This is StarScream with the decepticon alternator versions of Rumble, ShockWave and DeadEnd. Comparatively, they are a great size and don't look awkward. Megatron and Optimus TOWER over the alternators, which is also accurate. They're just bigger robots.

The only gripe (and maybe I'm just being too picky) is the fact that there is over 10 decepticon logos on this jet. So the idea of "hiding" especially from Autobots is kinda out the window. That said, the logos work very well with the overall look. Especially the purple ones. StarScreams Jet mode just looks bad ass, and evil. A normal pilot would look at this plane, read the "wonderful" sentiments on the sides and problebly not get into the cockpit haha!

The detail on this figure is flawless and top notch and not overdone, except for the multiple "look at me, I'm a decepticon" numbers in bad guy hints in the logos.

The landing gear are functional, the cockpit is raisable, the the engine and computer mainframe panels can be lifted and expose the engine and computer hardware.

I love this fighter jet. It's apparently still one of the deadliest along with the f~14 Tomcat and the new f~22 Talon (StarScreams jet mode in the Transformers movies)

As I've mentioned, it changes pretty much like the old version of the toy that came out 25 years ago, just a bit more complicated. If a jet started doing this infront of me, I wouldn't stick around to see the end result. StarScream here is known for not thinking twice about stepping on pesky humans! O_O

The nose breaks down, and swivels into the chest so the cockpit becomes apart of his chest, and the head is then exposed. The arms fold out from the sides, legs extend and pull apart, and the wings fold and twist like origami giving him the look of a demonic robot with wings. He's always looked cool to me. And is problebly just as popular as Megatron.

And StarScream is complete! I give this figure 10 out of 10. I don't even care about the wierd number of faction logos, It really doesn't take away from this figure at any rate. So StarScream comes out of this review with full marks!

There is modified variants of SkyWarp and ThunderCracker. All with differant weapons and color schemes ofcourse. So I think if you're rich, or have some cash to play with, these toys are a great thing to own. On ebay, They sell for upwards of 300$ american. So if you need cash, these things can always be sold rather quickly. I can see them selling for much more once they are scarce enough. So good luck finding them if you want them down the road!

Thanks for reading my StarScream review! Later!

deadsurfkiss

The pics are all from me, they look alright because I got a new camera, thank god for auto focus!