Nu-Ray: The Campaign, Safety Not Guaranteed, Rosemary's Baby

Hey you there stop downloading those movies and check these new releases out in Nu-Ray. This week we have a comedy perfect for these pre-election days, an indie flick about a possible time traveler, and a deluxe release of one of the most iconic horror films ever just in time for Halloween. Plus you might get a little extra selection if you stick around until the end.

First up, funnymen Will Farrell & Zach Galifianakis star as two inept congressional candidates in The Campaign. In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady(Farrell) by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins(Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center. Everything quickly gets out of hand with mud-slinging, back-stabbing, and home-wrecking. This film has it's moments with big laughs coming from both leads. As a character piece it works but the film feels like a sequence of skits with a very loose story trying to tie them together. Still if you're a fan of either of these guys I say check it out. Special features on the Blu-ray include: Extended Cut of the film, Line-o-Rama, Deleted Scenes, and Gag Reel. In my opinion this would be a Rent.

Next up is sleeper indie flick from this summer Safety Not Guaranteed. Starring Aubrey Plaza(Parks & Rec), Jake Johnson(New Girl), & Mark Duplass(The League) Safety centers around three magazine employees that head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel. Both critics and audiences loved this film but it never gained a wide release so this will be the first time many of us will get to see the film. I love all three lead actors in their respective shows so I'm excited to see how they come across together in this film from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine. Bonus features include: A Movie Making Mission Featurette, The Ad Behind the Movie Featurette, Time Capsule-Easter Egg. I would love to say this is a definite buy but the few special features might push this towards a Rent first and if you really love this film then you might want to own it.

If you looking for a perfect movie to watch this Halloween you've got it with our next Blu-ray Rosemary's Baby (The Criterion Collection). The Hollywood debut of infamous director Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes Rosemary's Baby is one of the most well-known horror/suspense movies ever made. A young couple move into a new apartment, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins controlling her life. You all know the rest of story and if you have never seen this movie; what are you waiting for? This being a Criterion release you know the special features will be plentiful and in-depth, they include: New high-definition digital restoration, approved by director Roman Polanski, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition, New interviews with Polanski, actor Mia Farrow, and producer Robert Evans, Komeda, Komeda: A feature-length documentary on the life and work of jazz musician and composer Krzysztof Komeda, who wrote the score for Rosemary’s Baby, 1997 radio interview with author Ira Levin from Leonard Lopate’s WNYC program New York and Company on the 1967 novel, the sequel, and the film, PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Ed Park and Levin’s afterword for the 2003 New American Library edition of his novel, in which he discusses its and the film’s origins. Listen this is a definite Own for any movie fan and would make a great addition to anyone's collection.

Now for a bonus pick this week. For those of you who have the extra cash to spend and are serious cinefiles I give you Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition). This year is the 90th anniversary of Hitchcock's first film Number 13 and Hollywood has taken notice with two Hitchcock biopics currently on the landscape. No doubt this collection will be taking up space on every true fan's bookshelf. This 15 disc collection contains 15 of the master directors classic films: Saboteur(1942), Shadow of a Doubt(1943), Rope(1948), Rear Window(1954), The Trouble with Harry(1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956), Vertigo(1958), North by Northwest(1959), Psycho(1960), The Birds(1963), Marnie(1964), Torn Curtain(1966), Topaz(1969), Frenzy(1972), Family Plot(1976). Each movie has special features with the more seminal films loaded to the brim with them. Again if you have the cash it's a for sure Own.

So that's it for this week let me know what you all are planning to get this Tuesday by commenting below. And as always Like the official The Final Level page on Facebook and follow us @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Now Dim the Lights and Pass the Popcorn.

Surprise: New Live-Action 'Black Ops' Trailer.

With the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II fast approaching, Nov. 13th, comes the release of the latest game trailer. Ok so its not really a game trailer than a live-action commercial mostly to promote the games multi-player feature. This is not the first time Treyarch, the games developer, has gone live-action though. You might remember previous Call of Duty commercials featuring Jimmy Kimmel, Sam Worthington, Jonah Hill, & Kobe Bryant. This time around they went bigger starting with the commercial's director Guy Ritchie(Snatch, Sherlock Holmes) and starring actors Jack Black, Omar Sy, web/gaming celebrities FPS Russia & iJustine, and quite possibly the biggest movie star of late Robert Downey Jr.. "Surprise" is the title of the commercial and features all the guys surprising each other with bigger and better weapons. Most people who play COD will recognize these things, like gunships and drone strikes, as the rewards you get in the multi-player for achieving different kill streaks. This latest Black Ops game is predicted to be the biggest video game release ever by industry insiders. Enjoy and let us know here at The Final Level what you think by commenting below. And as always Like the official The Final Level page on Facebook and follow us @TFLChicago on Twitter.

SURPRISE!



SURPRISE!

Joss Whedon for Mitt Romney?

Yes you heard that right the beloved nerd writer and director Joss Whedon is throwing his support behind the Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney. Why you may ask? Now that he has become beyond super successful with The Avengers has he switched his party affiliation? No. His support for Romney is purely based on ration political viewpoints. He firmly believes that Mitt will finally be able to do what Obama was never able to accomplish in his four years in office...and that is hasten the Zombie Apocalypse. Yes Joss is voting for Mitt this November because all the proposed Romney changes "guarantee poverty, unemployment, overpopulation, disease, rioting—all crucial elements in creating a nightmare zombie wasteland.". So remember, on this election day vote for Romney and then immediately start hoarding canned goods and stockpiling guns & ammo.

Zomney for President

Watching Dead: Episode 3 - 'Walk With Me'

***Yes this does contain spoilers, its a freakin' recap***

Come on and give your old pal Merle a big hug. Yes players Merle, everyone's favorite crazy redneck racist brother from season one, is back in a big bad way and he's got friends...and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Welcome back to Watching Dead the weekly segment where we here at The Final Level take a look at the most recent episode of The Walking Dead and not only give you a recap but hopefully try to give a little insight to what you just saw as well. This week we have the third episode of season 3 featuring the introduction this seasons "villain" The Governor as well as the return of the incomparable Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon. So let's get into it shall we and take a stroll down zombie lane with this week's episode, Walk With Me.

A helicopter crashes and Michonne & Andrea are quick to explore. They are interrupted by the arrival of another group of survivors. Outnumbered they decide to take cover in the bushes and see if this new group is friendly. The new people get out of their trucks and we get the first glimpse of The Governor played by David Morrissey. His group quickly starts taking out encroaching walkers and helping the injured helicopter pilot. Andrea, still very sick, and Michonne are thinking about making themselves known to the strangers as Michonne's zombie 'tag-alongs' become restless. Michonne quickly dispatches with both of them and they seem to go unnoticed until they are surprised from behind by none other than good 'ol Merle telling them to lay down their weapons. Andrea passes out. Andrea comes to a little on the ride back to The Governor's camp but when she fully awakes she is in an infirmary being taken care of with Michonne watching over her (plus a couple of armed guards). The Gov comes in and assures them they are not prisoners and are free to go as soon as it is light out, Michonne seems distrustful. The Gov meets with a scientist who seems to be experimenting on walkers and making special tea. They talk about what Michonne did to her walkers and how that could be useful. The Governor and the scientist have breakfast with the ladies and explains how his town, Woodbury, is kept safe, Michonne seems distrustful. The injured pilot awakes and The Gov coaxes the position of his unit out of him. Michonne and Andrea walk around town talking, Andrea seems to think that this would be a nice place to stay and of course, MICHONNE SEEMS DISTRUSTFUL! The Gov finds the stranded military unit and ambushes them with his fighters, there are no survivors. They take all the guns, vehicles, and supplies and head back to Woodbury. When the arrive back home The Gov gives a speech about how the military unit was overrun by zombies before they got there so they took their supplies and should honor their memories by using the supplies wisely and living. The entire community seems greatful and Andrea thanks The Gov for everything and even has a "moment" with him and finally Michonne cracks a smile...oh wait no she doesn't she seems DISTRUSTFUL! Later that night we see The Gov get out of bed and head to a locked room in his house. He settles into a large armchair with a drink and looks forward. We spin around to see what he's looking at and there it is, a wall of aquariums filled with floating decapitated zombie heads, and at the top is the head of the helicopter pilot...fade to black, the end.

The one word I would use to describe this episode is Secrets. Everybody is keeping secrets, The Governor obviously is keeping secrets from everyone. I would find it hard to believe that if anyone there knows exactly everything he is up to. The conversation at the end with Andrea where he refuses to tell her his real name just goes to show how secretive he is. Then there is Michonne's secret. She gets very upset when she is questioned about her relationship to her "pets" that she had to kill (for all you comic readers out there...we know who they are). The other big event in this episode is the 'Return of Merle'. Now with a new knife hand he seems to have become a valued member of The Gov's inner circle. He does seem to have mellowed a little, at least to Andrea, that he even gets a thank you out of her. He does seem to have an ulterior motive for all the questions he asks about his brother and the other survivors though. The one thing I did find a little annoying/weird was Michonne's attitude. Her constant distrust for the person who helped her friend and brought them some place safe seems out of place. We all know The Gov is not a good guy and has some nefarious plans but to her he should seems like a pretty good dude. Now she doesn't have to have a blind faith in him, she can be slightly leery, but her vehement distrust seems a little out of place. I would have liked it a little better if her distrust was built over some time but I guess that's what we have Andrea for. Overall this was a great episode and I think will stand out among this season, if not the entire season. And just a bit of trivia this is the first episode of The Walking Dead to not have Rick featured at all. Well until next week keep your blades sharp and your shotgun loaded.

Best Walker Moment: The helicopter passenger that was completely cut in half with intestines spilled out everywhere. And yes it counts because he comes back as a walker for a few seconds before The Governor puts a knife in his head.

R.I.P. G4 2005-2012

While the network itself is not going away, at the end of the year it will be undergoing a complete re-branding. Yes the network built on video games and comics will be stepping away from nerd culture all together and heading in a more GQ fashionable male direction. This move is solidified in the cancelling of the two anchor shows for G4 X-Play and Attack of the Show! which will end their runs at the end of this year. This may come as little shock to the more devout viewers of the network as over the past year or so we have seen the exit of the two main personalities of those shows and the network itself, Adam Sessler(X-Play) and Kevin Pereira(AOTS).

X-Play debuted in 2003 on Tech TV and came to G4 when those two networks merged in 2005. Hosted by Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb, and Blair Herter since the departure of Sessler, X-Play was a highly respected video game review show and was the place to turn for first look game trailers and exclusive industry interviews. Attack of the Show!, or AOTS, debuted in 2005 as a daily news show that revolved around nerd culture. It encompassed everything from from movies, to comics, to the latest internet trends. Originally hosted by Kevin Pereiera, Kevin Rose, and Sarah Lane AOTS was an off shoot of the Tech TV show The Screen Savers which the three had previously hosted before the G4/Tech TV merger. Within a year both Lane and Rose had left the show and in 2006 new host, Olivia Munn, was brought in to co-host. Munn departed in 2010 and Candace Bailey was given the current co-host spot. Since Pereira left in August Bailey has been given a string of special guests to co-host with and that trend will continue until the shows end. Some upcoming guest hosts will include John Barrowman, Michael Ian Black, Josh Myers, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, & Horatio Sanz. Both shows have logged over 1000 episodes each and will be running retrospectives and re-living some of their classic moments until their series finales.

This marks and end of an era in geek culture. These two shows were not only popular amongst their fans but important news sources as well. With the current rise in popularity of geek/nerd culture these two shows had a finger on the pulse of an ever growing community and with their on-the-floor coverage of major conventions like E3 and San Diego Comic-Con were often the first place to hear breaking news in gaming, comics, and movies. It seems weird to me that with the current trend in movies and TV that G4 is going away from the whole nerd culture movement. I'm sad to see these shows go as they are both unique and offered a fresh blend of comedy and news. I will forever be in the debt of AOTS for introducing me to Chris Hardwick a.k.a. The Nerdist, because without him I would not be doing what I'm doing. So I say a fond and tear stained farewell to G4 and can only hope that all those wonderful people who work on X-Play & AOTS go on to bigger and brighter things.

Let me know what you think of the whole G4 re-branding by commenting below. And as always Like the official The Final Level page on Facebook and follow us @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Candace Bailey, Morgan Webb, Matt Mira, Blair Butler, Blair Herter, Sara Jean Underwood, & all the rest, May You Live Long and Prosper

First Look: Iron Man 3

Just a couple days ago we got our first glimpse of next summer's upcoming blockbuster Iron Man 3, and while I don't know exactly where I stand on teasers for trailers it did look pretty awesome. Now, today, Marvel has released the full trailer and let me tell you...It Looks Amazing! Yes it goes to reason that anything Marvel puts out these days is awesome but I still get a little scared before every film comes out. I think I am still waiting for misstep, and IM3 made me nervous because of the change of director from Jon Favreau to Shane Black. While I do have some slight problems with what I saw and heard overall I think this movie is going to kick-ass. The Iron Patriot armor looks as cool as ever and little peek into the relationship between Pepper & Tony sets a definite tone for what the movie will probably be. The only thing I wasn't enthralled with was The Mandarin. I was disappointed that the great Sir Ben Kingsley is for some reason speaking in some weird American accent. Also I was hoping that they would down play the whole Mandarin outfit but it looks pretty close to the comics complete with all ten rings. Well have a look for yourselves and let me know what you think by commenting below. And as always Like the official The Final Level page on Facebook and follow us @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Now where do I get my Iron Man suit polished

Nu-Ray: AL:VH, Magic Mike, Blade Runner

Tuesday is here and with it it brings a so many movies to choose from, thank goodness for Nu-Ray. We're here to help you navigate through some of the new movies out on Blu-ray. This week we take a look at the secret past of one of America's greatest leaders, a magical man that takes off his clothes, & a re-release of probably the most re-released movie in sci-fi history.

First up we have Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Based on the book by Seth Grahame-Smith(Pride & Prejudice & Zombies) AL:VH re-imagines the life of America's greatest leader from a young vampire hunter to the 16th president trying to keep this country together as vampires back The Confederacy and try to destroy this great nation. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov(Wanted) and starring Benjamin Walker & Mary Elizabeth Winstead this film ended up being a box office and critical under-performer but I did enjoy this film and thought it was a fun action movie (I will re-post my original film review from TLA). Special features on this Blu-ray include: The Making of AL:VH, commentary by Grahame-Smith, Linkin Park music video, & The Great Calamity graphic novel, plus digital and Ultraviolet copies.

Next we look at the latest from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh(Traffic), Magic Mike. Starring Channing Tatum & Matthew McConaughey and loosely based on Tatum's life before acting, Magic Mike is the story of a young male stripper who is taken under the wing of an older stripper and shown the ropes of the business and life. Soderbergh was set to retire from film making until he came across this script. This movie was actually well received by critics with the acting being a real bright spot of the film. Special features on this Blu-ray include: Deleted scenes, Backstage on Magic Mike, & The Moves of Magic Mike, plus digital and Ultraviolet copies.

Lastly this week we have a long awaited Blu-ray release for every fanboy out there,
Blade Runner: The 30th Anniversary Edition. OK if you're reading this you know the story and you also know that every few years a new version of this film comes out with added or deleted scenes. Well this collectors edition is going to basically have all those cuts plus too many features to list one-by-one but some extras are: "Final Cut" feature on Blu-ray and DVD, Three additional feature versions on one disc, seamlessly branched, All new bonus content disc featuring the existing EC from the UCE plus, Photo Gallery with 1,000+ new images, "Dangerous Days" documentary, The Work Print feature version, Over 6 featurettes, Commentaries & much more, plus digital and Ultraviolet copies. Also with the very special collectors edition you get a mini Police Spinner.

Well that's all for this week let me know what you're planning to pick up this week by commenting below and join us again next Tuesday and everyday for all the late breaking nerd news. And as always please Like the official The Final Level page at Facebook.com/thefinallevelchicago, +1 us on Google+, and follow us at @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Now Dim the Lights and Pass the Popcorn.

TFL Reviews: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (originally posted 6/22/12)

*May Contain Slight Spoilers*

Move over James K. Polk you just replaced as my favorite 19th century president, and its all thanks to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. A young President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers. This was a fun thrill ride of a movie and on the surface looks like something any self respecting nerd would be excited to watch. So, did this movie live up to the expectations? Was it what we were all waiting for?

Let's start, as always, with the good. This movie looks amazing! From the set design, to the costumes, to the effects, this film's visuals are absolutely stunning. And while at times the CGI can look like CGI I didn't mind that so much. Also the acting in this film was actually pretty good and surpassed what I thought would come from a movie like this. I felt that Benjamin Walker did a good job as Honest Abe, even though his delivery can be stilted or awkward at times it seems to fit the character but the he brightest spot among the cast, in my opinion, was Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I really liked her portrayal of the young Mary Todd and found her acting top-notch in this film. The overall story was compelling and even tough some of the twists were predictable it was still fun. And finally I really liked the inclusion of other historical figures along the way. I did however would have liked to see more between Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas(Alan Tudyk) but I guess this is not the place to go for background on historical debates.

Now for the bad. The love story between Mary & Abe is very, very concise. Basically she shows up engaged to Douglas, then goes on one date with Abe, then the future first couple is getting married. Most of it probably ended up on the cutting room floor but I would have liked to see a little more. Also the make-up on this film could have been better. While they did an amazing job on aging Abe they must have run out of money after that because everyone else seemed to just get bad fake beards. And it looks like they didn't even bother to age the Mary Todd Lincoln character aside from putting a slight hint of gray in her hair. The music in this film was a little subdued in my opinion. I would have liked to have heard a little harder and louder score to the movie. Killing vampires should rock harder. Finally the ending to this movie felt a little anti-climatic and the final fight between Lincoln and the lead vampire Adam(Rufus Sewell) seemed a little quick for my taste. It might just be that I'm used to video games where boss battles happen in many stages but I would have liked to see a longer battle between the two.

So the overall verdict? Go see this movie, its fun and at times will have you on the edge of your seats. The action is fun and frenetic and the story is enjoyable. I give Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 4 out of 5 Stove-Pipe Hats.

I Want an Ax Gun

Watching Dead: Episode 2 - 'Sick'

***This Will Contain Spoilers, Its a Recap!***

Well its Monday, the saddest day of the week because we are the farthest away from a new The Walking Dead, but don't despair next Sunday will be here soon and until then we can come together to discuss what just happened in this week's installment of Watching Dead. This week we have episode 302 Sick. So what the Hell just happened and what does it mean?

When we left our group last week they had just cut off Hershel's leg because he had gotten bit and right before we faded out we got a look at a group of inmates that were still alive in the prison. That's where we pick up, as our group is trying to deal with the Hershel situation they are also thrown into a stand-off with a group of prisoners lead by Tomas, an inmate with an obvious homicidal past. After getting Hershel back to the cell block Rick strikes an agreement with the inmates; for half of the food left in the cafeteria they will help clear out a different cell block for the prisoners to occupy then they go their separate ways and never see each other again. Rick is very clear on this point and does not mince words, if he sees them around his group he will kill them. Meanwhile Hershel is touch and go and no one knows if he will make it but if he doesn't they all know what has to be done. Back to Rick and everyone is getting ready to head in and clear out a new cell block. After a brief walker killing class they enter the building and the inmates totally forget everything they were just told and start acting like its a prison riot, shanking and beating the walkers but no head shots and no kills. Hershel is getting bad and everyone is worried.

Enter Carl, he has found the infirmary and come back with a bag full of supplies. He seems pretty proud of himself until his mother starts yelling at him for going off on his own. In typical kid angst he snaps back but is quickly shut down by Beth and he stomps off pouting. Things are going good for the team cleaning out the cell block that is until Big Tiny, an inmate, breaks rank and gets scratched. While everyone is arguing over what's to be done Tomas kills Big Tiny so fast and so brutally that everyone else is left in stunned silence. Finally the gang reaches the main doors of the cell block and a zombie slay-fest ensues. During the entanglement though Tomas twice tries to kill Rick, one time by throwing a walker at him, but to no avail. After the fight tensions are high and without hesitation Rick plants his machete deep in Tomas' skull. Another inmate, Andrew, runs off and after a brief pursuit Rick ends up locking him up in a courtyard full of zombies. The last two prisoners left are set free into their own cell block and told to keep away and stay in their own area. Back with the others Hershel dies but Laurie decides to act quickly and gives CPR, a very dangerous proposition. It pays off and Hershel is saved. All the while Carol has enlisted Glen in getting a woman walker to experiment on in case Hershel can't deliver Laurie's baby. The episode ends with Rick and Laurie talking about the state of their marriage and how divorce is really not an option in this new world and that staying together is all that matters now. Rick looks like he agrees and you can feel they still love each other but right at the end Rick chooses not to give those comforting words and just leaves her with a very basic compliment. The last shot is of Carol preparing the zombie body to be dissected but it switches angles and you are watching Carol from the vantage point of someone hiding in the brush outside the prison gates....fade to black and the end.

The one word I would use to describe this episode is Decisions. Yes while Rick does struggle with the fact that he might have to kill these unknown men he does not hesitate with the decision to kill when those men pose a clear and immediate danger to the group. You may ask how that is different from the brutal killing of Big Tiny, and why does Rick get a pass? Well the answer is simple, Rick does not enjoy what he's doing, every death costs him a bit more of the man he used to be. For Tomas the kill was enjoyable and was something he was probably very comfortable with before the zombie outbreak. Another key decision is Laurie's choice to try and resuscitate Hershel. In this world we all know that if you die you come back as a walker so you must act quickly to contain that person. Instead Laurie jumps basically on top of Hershel and gives him mouth-to-mouth. Now how much of that was selfless and how much was predicated on the fact that she needs Hershel to deliver her baby, we'll never know. In this new landscape your survival has a lot to do with how fast you can make those hard choices and act upon them. Things like Carl running off alone to get supplies and Carol experimenting on walkers also show an example of decision making, I feel. Both of those characters are deciding what they want their role to be in the group and are taking steps to become a new and more productive member. In the case of Carl he is deciding what type of man he wants to be, but he does still have a lot to figure out. In the end three big decisions are made that will effect the group greatly, Rick & Tomas, Laurie & Hershel, and Rick & Laurie. What happens next? Well for that we have 'til wait for next Sunday.

Let me know what you guys thought of last night's episode by commenting below and as always please Like the official The Final Level page at Facebook.com/thefinallevelchicago, +1 us on Google+, and follow us at @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Best Walker Moment: A prison inmate zombie in handcuffs proceeds to rip off his own hand to get free and attack Big Tiny. It made me actually groan in disgust, now that's good make-up effects.

Iron Man 3 Trailer Teaser...Yes You Read That Right.

Now this is something that I honestly thought I'd never see, but I'll forgive it because its for Iron Man 3. Yes it is actually a quick TEASER for the TRAILER that premiers this Tuesday, Oct 23rd. Click here to check out the tease. The only thing you really get a good look at in this teaser is the new Iron Man Mark 8 Suit. Also you get a glimpse of the back of The Mandarin's head the villain for the film played by Sir Ben Kingsley, and a scene of Pepper Potts(Gwyneth Paltrow) apparently getting tortured. Check back Tuesday and I will be sure to post the entire trailer and take a look at what we see.

NBW: The Walking Dead #103, Wonder Woman #13, Hawkeye #3

Mother nature and a freak power outage have tried to keep me from this week's post, but you should know nothing can stop New Book Wednesday. This week we take a look at everyone's favorite zombie apocalypse survivors, a bad-ass Amazon princess, & a book about an archer that maybe should have a different name.

First up The Walking Dead #103. Unless you've been living under a rock you know that The Walking Dead TV show premiered this past Sunday to big ratings and great acclaim but what a lot of people still don't know is that the show is based on a long running comic book. While the TV show is great the comic is different enough that you can actually have two distinct experiences if you read the books AND watch the show. So what happened this month in TWD #103. After the very shocking murder of Glen at the hands of the evil gang leader Negan the group is still in shock and they are even more in shock when Rick told them they were not going to be fighting back and actually giving in to Negan's demands. This book starts with Andrea packing her bags and getting ready to leave Rick. She cannot believe that Rick is just telling everyone to rollover and let Negan take half of their supplies. She is all set to leave until Rick reveals that he does have a plan but can't let the others find out because he needs Negan to believe they've given up. The rest of the book has Negan coming to the settlement and taking supplies while antagonizing all the survivors he comes across. The tension in this book is palpable and you wish you could reach through the panels and slap Negan around for yourself. I can't wait until we get to know what exactly Rick's plan is. Written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Charlie Adlard.

Next up lets hop over to the world of DC Comics and the adventures of one Princess Diana in Wonder Woman #13. Now I have been telling everyone I know how much I love this new Wonder Woman run, the story is amazing, the art is fantastic, and the action is kick-ass. This month we find Diana and her group held up in a hotel. Now that Zeus is dead and Hera is turned mortal Apollo sits upon his throne in Olympus. He has called together all his brother and sister gods to discuss the new threat of Wonder Woman. Meanwhile back in the hotel Wonder Woman/Diana is trying to keep the peace now that Hera has entered the group and trying to figure out how to get back Zola's baby that was stolen by a traitorous Hermes (the baby was stolen because it was the last offspring of Zeus). Yes I know its all a little confusing but do yourself a favor and start reading this book, you won't be sorry. Maybe though, go back and pick up the first volume trade collection of this new Wonder Woman. Written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Tony Akins.

Finally comes a comic that grows more and more on me each month that I read it, the latest installment for the bow wielding Avenger, Hawkeye #3. Now back at the top you might remember I said that this book should have another name. If you ask me this book could be called Clint Barton or just plain Clint. This book is about the world of Clint Barton/Hawkeye when he is not being an Avenger so that's why I say it should be titled differently but they can't do that because Hawkeye is the name everyone knows. This month we find our hero meeting a mysterious woman with a fast car. Hawkeye buys the car, sleeps with the woman, and then proceeds to help rescue her from a gang of Mini Cooper driving thugs, and all this starts because he needs some tape to label his bows. this is a fun story and the art has really started becoming a major attraction of the comic. Also the constant bickering and back-and-forth between him and his sidekick/temp Hawkeye Jessica is pretty funny. I highly suggest you jump oon this book while its still relatively new and easy to catch up on, you'll regret it if you don't. Written by Matt Fraction and drawn by David Aja.

Well there you have it, three books that you should definitely check out next time you're at your local comic shop. And let me know what you guys are reading by commenting below. As always please Like the official The Final Level page on Facebook, +1 us on Google+, and follow us at @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Keep on Reading.

Nu-Ray: Moonrise Kingdom, Madagascar 3, Avatar 3D

Tuesday has come so lets see what you can spend your money on this week in our weekly look at the newest in Blu-ray releases, Nu-Ray. This week we have the latest from an indie darling, a kids movie with the standard talking animals, and a 3D release of the movie that brought 3D to the forefront of the current movie landscape.

First up is this summers 'under the radar' hit Moonrise Kingdom. From acclaimed indie director Wes Anderson Moonrise Kingdom is set in 1965 and centers around a pair of young lovers who flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them. Starring Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, Francis McDormand, & (of course) Bill Murray this is Anderson at his hyper-stylized best. The sets are beautiful, the dialogue uber-witty, and the characters off centre, this movie never had a huge release but still managed to gross upwards of 60 million dollars worldwide. Some of the special features you get with this Blu-ray are: A Look Inside Moonrise Kingdom, Welcome to the Island of New Penzance - Bob Balaban offers quick looks at the actors and their roles as well as director Wes Anderson in several quirky in-character featurettes, Set Tour with Bill Murray, DVD, UltraViolet, & iTunes Digital Copy.

Next up the latest fare from Dreamworks the animated adventure Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. All your favorite characters from the Madagascar franchise are back and are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - 'Madagascar' style. Starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, & Jada Pinkett Smith this is your standard family cartoon movie. If you have children you will most likely be picking this up and then being subjected to numerous viewings, many back-to-back. The special features include: Get them to the Train game (Blu-ray exclusive), Animators' Corner (Blu-ray exclusive), Trivia Track (Blu-ray exclusive), Mad Music Mash-up, Deleted Scenes, Circus Acts, Big Top Cast, Filmmakers' Commentary, Making of How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular arena show world tour, Digital Copy & UltraViolet Copy of the film. Plus there is also a special combo pack that includes Marty's Rainbow Wig, yes an actual rainbow wig just like in the film!

Hey guys remember Avatar? Yes the 2009 James Cameron film that made all the money in the world is finally getting a 3D release on Blu-ray. Yes the movie that is basically responsible for all movies being in 3D these days in finally bringing the third dimension to your home. We all know the story a future space Marine is sent to an alien planet and transfers his mind into a huge blue cat alien body. He falls in love with the princess then leads a war against his own people to save the alien race. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, & Sigourney Weaver. Now whatever you think of the movie itself the 3D was truly ground breaking and might make it worth a second view but that is only if you have a 3D TV at home. Panasonic is actually bundling this Blu-ray with it TV for this holiday season. Now either the special features are impossible to find or there just aren't any so beware of that folks. I would suggest you stay clear unless you really love this movie and have a 3D TV, even then if there are no special features on this release you know there will be a later version fully loaded with all the extras, so maybe wait for that.

Finally I have a little bonus release for you guys. One of my favorite movies is finally getting a Blu-ray release for it's 20th anniversary, A League of Their Own. Set during WWII and based on the actual all girls pro baseball league A League of Their Own is about two sisters who join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry. Starring Geena Davis, Lori Petty, & Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall this is a classic movie that any baseball fan should own. The special features include: Director & Cast Commentary, Deleted Scenes, "This Used to be My Playground" - Madonna Music Video, & 'Nine Memorable Innings' - The Making of "A League of Their Own". Yes I know that is not anything more that the special edition DVD that is already out has but if you looking to upgrade or haven't bought it since VHS (like me) this is an essential grab.

Well that's it for this week kiddies hope Nu-Ray was helpful and informative. Let me know what what you guys are planning to pick up this week by commenting below and if you haven't already please Like the offical The Final Level page on Facebook, add us to your circle on Google+, and follow us at @TFLChicago on Twitter.

Now dim the lights and pass the popcorn.

Watching Dead: Episode 1 - 'Seed'

***This Will Contain Spoilers, It's a Freakin' Recap***
Welcome players (again the name for you fans of TFL out there) to the new weekly recap of America's favorite zombie-tastic T.V. show, The Walking Dead. Yes like a lot of America I am a fan of TWD, and have been on board since day one. I even watched the first episode when it leaked online a few days before it aired, so I've been a fan of the show since before day one. Fore those of you who have followed my New Book Wednesday posts, my weekly comic review, you also know I have been a fan of the comics for a while now too. So lets get started with a look at the first episode of season 3 of The Walking Dead, Seed.

Season 2 left our survivors on the run and desperate. With the fall of The Farm our group is essentially homeless and on the road again, on the run from ever encroaching hordes of 'walkers'. This is where season 3 starts. We see Rick, Laurie, Daryl, & the others charge into a house and begin to clear out whatever zombies are still in there. Almost as soon as they finish the see the beginnings of a horde they have been out running, so its time to go. Laurie is very pregnant and the weight of leading this group is getting to Rick in a big bad way. While on a small break from traveling Rick and Daryl go out to hunt for food and that is when they see it, The Prison. The survivors high-tail-it there and commence to clear out the outer yard, everyone seems happy with the new space and content to stay in the open field for a while, everyone except for Rick. He is dead set on getting to inner buildings of the prison where they can hopefully find ammo, food, and medicine, medicine that can help with the impending birth of his and Laurie's child. While all this is going on we get our first glimpse of Michonne, the shadowy hooded katana carrying character we got a very brief look at during the season 2 finale. She is slicing and dicing her way through a pharmacy in search of aspirin. Back to the prison and our group has gotten into an inner cell block and have started to set up camp but their still not done. Rick is dead set on pushing forward and finding the cafeteria and infirmary. We come back to Michonne and see that the aspirin is for a sick Andrea whom Michonne rescued last season. Andrea is pretty bad off and asking Michonne to leave her behind as an impending zombie wave is descending on the town where they are holed up. Michonne will have none of that and the two take off into the woods away from the town. Back in the prison the exploration has gone awry and in the end Hershel gets bit in the ankle. They finally find the cafeteria and Rick, in an attempt to save Hershel from 'walker-ism', quickly cuts off the bitten leg. As we pan up from that amputation we see a group of prisoners looking on, and then we hear one say "Holy shit." Fade to black, end of episode one.

The one word I would use to describe this episode is quiet. The entire opening scene is done completely without dialogue and in that scene we get to see just how far the group has come together over this past winter. The biggest difference we see off the bat is Carl. He charges into the house carrying a gun almost as big as he is and is an integral part of the zombie killing team. Even without a single word for those first few minutes you get a complete sense of how hard life has become and how each person is fitting into this new group dynamic. Now when I say this show was quiet that doesn't mean it was 'quiet'. There's plenty of action and some great zombie kills but for me this show lives in the quiet and small moments between characters; a song by a campfire, a loving couple checking each other for zombie scratches, even a fight between a married couple without yelling these are the things that I feel define the episode. These parts are done so soft and that when there the gears shift and there is a legitimate cacophony it really stands out. A couple other cool little moments in the show include the small flirtations between Beth and Carl, which even though she may be like four years older than him, seem to be sweet and adorable. The other maybe couple on the horizon is Carol and Daryl ( I love the rhyming names, I don't know why I just do). The moment they have atop the over turned prison bus was playful and gives you a glimpse into the evolution of a relationship, a relationship whose seeds were planted last season. In the end this was a pretty solid season premiere. While not quite as epic as I like my premieres it was strong and set a great tone for the upcoming season and in true TWD fashion the ending left you cursing at the television for just a few minutes more of episode.Best Walker Moment: When a zombie wearing a gas-mask gets the mask ripped off his face gets ripped off with it...I love this show.

More Than Meets the Eye....and Your Wallet.

1987, it seems like only yesterday right? If you, like me, were a child back then you got the chance to play with some of the best toys ever made like He-Man, G.I. Joe, & Thundercats. However one toy line seemed to stand head and shoulders above the rest, The Transformers. Those toys were my, and many others, favorites of The 80's. Sadly in 1987 the final season of The Transformers cartoon came to a conclusion in the U.S. with a 3 part episode that introduced The Headmasters. The Headmasters were Autobots and Decepticons whose heads transformed into robots while their body transformed into either vehicles or beast mode. During the finale we got to see the Autobots traveling through space in a huge floating base, but it true Transformers fashion it was more than just a base it was a Headmaster, Fortress Maximus the biggest Transformer ever. The Fortress Maximus action figure stood a whopping 2 feet tall and today is widely considered the be 'The Holy Grail' of Transformers toy collector-dom. I can only imagine being a kid and getting one for a birthday or Christmas gift as I never owned him.

Fast forward to the present. Toy maker Takara announced last week that they are re-issuing the Fortress Maximus toy under their 'Encore' line of Transformers action figures. Good news right? Now everyone that never got an FM as a kid can go out and buy one. Well not so fast. The MSRP for the re-issue FM is $350 and if you want it as soon as its released you'll need to pony up an extra $50. To give you a little background on the original Maximus and it's rareness an EMPTY BOX of the toy alone can fetch upwards of $300 in online auctions, even more if it still has the original styrofoam packing. FM came with so many separate parts that seeing a 100% complete one is extremely rare. That is why people tend to bid like crazy when they a see a piece they need. These days the hardest piece to find is the head which can fetch a rather hefty sum. Currently there is an auction for an original unused AFA 80 Graded Mint Fortress Maximus, and yes they even made a protective case for it. Current bid $2,950. That's more money than I currently have in my 401k for Pete's sake!

I guess my problem though currenly lies with Takara and Hasbro. They seem to think that all the kids who loved Transformers are grown up and making six figures, at least judging by the prices of their re-issues. In 1987 the sticker price for an FM was around $90, so I was expecting to pay around double that for the new offering. I understand that production costs have gone up since the 80's but $350 is just too much to spend on a toy, especially in today's economy. Now I will confess to my part in all this. I do have a lot of the TF re-issue line but I cannot justify buying buying them when the prices get into the hundreds of dollars. That is where I draw the line. The only bright spot in this whole thing is that the new FM will include The Master Sword, an extra that only came with the original Japanese version of the toy. September marked the 28th anniversary of the original Transformers cartoon, so in a way I guess we should be happy that there are still such die hard fans. Fans that petitioned Takara to re-issue Tranformers toys in the first place. And I should also be greatful that Takara listened. I guess this is just a case of different strokes for different folks. There are some people (like me) who will put their foot down and say no, and then there's people who will spend any amount of money as long as it says Transformers on the box. So if you have the money and the space for a Fortress Maximus, rejoice! If not don't fret, $350 can buy a slew of other Transformers. Until next time Cybertronians! 'Til All Are One.

Written by Juan "Mint-in-Box" Soria

TFL Reviews: Argo

***This Review May Contain Spoilers***

Now I know that in the past I have stuck to reviewing sci-fi and superhero movies but a huge part of my nerd-dom is for film and this time year also gets my film nerd flag flying. While other people see fall as the time of year that a chill comes in the air and leaves start to turn I see it as the season that all the movies hoping to vie for an Oscar start hitting theaters. One of the early films in this year's opening award season salvo is Argo. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, Argo centers around the covert C.I.A. operation to rescue 6 American diplomats in Iran hiding with the Canadian ambassador during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1980. C.I.A. 'exfiltration' specialist Tony Mendez(Affleck) is sent in to get the 6 out with a plan so crazy it could only be thought up in Hollywood. They will pose as a Canadian film crew in Iran to scout locations for an upcoming sci-fi movie called 'Argo'. But for any of this to work first Mendez must create and entire fake movie campaign to sell the cover identities of the 6 rogue diplomats. If successful they all leave Iran safely if not they are all as good as dead. Too fantastic to be true, well yes it is, but believe it or not this is based on a true story. So is this movie worth your time or should this mission be scrubbed and all the agents disavowed? Well lets find out shall we.

Affleck has come a long way as a director in just three movies. Gone Baby Gone & The Town were both very solid movies but with his latest offering Affleck has kicked up his game a few notches. The pacing was fast and the narrative flow kept this film moving where others might have dragged. Also the suspense that builds through the movie had my heart racing as we followed the characters through their escape attempt. I know that Affleck used some pretty standard movie suspense tropes but he used them brilliantly. The acting was another bright spot with particular outstanding performances from Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, & Alan Arkin(who I will be surprised if not nominated for many awards this season). There are two distinct parts to this film the beginning which has Mendez going to Hollywood to set up the fake movie and Mendez going to Iran to rescue the Americans. While the first plays more to the light-hearted the latter is pure spy thriller and the both blend perfectly in this film. Kudos also go to the set and costume designers for recreating 1980 to a tee and the inclusion of iconic archival images and news footage do truly transport you to a specific place and time.

This is usually where I would tell you the bad spots of the movie but for me there wasn't any. I loved this movie and was completely blown away. I give Argo 5 out of 5 fake movie posters, I recommend that you see it now or you will definitely be kicking yourself for missing this one come award season when this movie is nominated for multiple awards. Argo F*ck Yourself!

New Munsters TV Show Scrapped

Quick somebody ring the "I told you so" alarm. NBC's The Munsters reboot has officially been scrapped before its even aired. Citing creative differences NBC and show creator Bryan Fuller have decided to part ways. Entitled Mockingbird Lane this show was based on the 60's sitcom which starred everyone's favorite family of classic monsters: Herman(Frankenstien's Monster), Lily(nobody was ever really sure), Grampa(vampire), Eddie(werewolf), and plain cousin Marilyn. NBC did spend 10 million dollars on this new pilot though and are hoping to recoup some of that expense as airing the show as a stand-alone Halloween special airing Oct 26th, 8/7c. But don't be too sad for Bryan he still has Hannibal his television show about the origins of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the cannibal serial killer from The Silence of the Lambs. That is set to air next year. I'm not sure what exactly went wrong with The Munsters reboot but it may have something to do with the fact that for a show about a family made up of classic movie monsters NOBODY LOOKED LIKE AN F-ING MONSTER! Now Mr. Fuller can you please tell me what was supposed to happen on the second season of Wonderfalls?

Arrow Premiere Hits the Bullseye

Last night The CW had their biggest night in 3 years with the premiere of Arrow. The action drama based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow/Oliver Queen scored 4 million viewers with a 1.3 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic. So was this show worth all the hype leading to it? Well if you ask me I'll give you a resounding "we'll see".

Having been marooned on a desert island for 5 years billionaire playboy Oliver Queen returns to his home Starling City. Queen was shipwrecked after the yacht carrying him, his father, and his lover was sunk, he was the only survivor. On his return he sees his city in decline and has come to the conclusion that the shipwreck may not have been so accidental. With that in mind he begins his one man crusade for justice and dawns a green hood and packs a bow and arrow, a weapon of which he has become a master of during his time on the island. Starring Stephen Amell as Queen/Arrow this show was well acted and the story was compelling for a pilot. The action was well done but can get a little Bourne-y at times (up close shaky camera). There is still no hint as to whether metas (people with super powers) will be a part of the show but there is a reference to Black Canary possibly. The tease for next week's episode shows the inclusion of another DC Universe character China White, played by Kelly Hu. I liked the pilot episode of Arrow and the appearance of other DC characters so soon in the run of the show tells me that we are in store for something that comic fans can get behind. Now if I can only get some of those Arrow abs.

NBW: Oct. 10th, 2012

Well this week's New Book Wednesday may be a little late but that is because there were so many offerings this week I couldn't just pick just one so I have picked a tri-fecta of awesomeness. So lets get this very nerdy party started.

First up Uncanny X-Men #1, the official start to the Marvel Now! initiative, Marvel's latest wave of new titles and number ones. After the events of this summers Avengers Vs. X-Men the world is still recuperating and the rift between Avenger and Mutant is slowing starting to mend, but animosities die hard. To ease tensions Captain America has the idea to put together a team of both sides of heroes to help protect the world from all the new dangers to come. A good start start to a promising series and I am really interested in seeing where Uncanny Avengers will lead. Written by Rick Remender and illustrated by John Cassaday.

Next up The Walking Dead: Michonne Special #1. I was excited to see this come out and was looking forward to learning some back story on everyone's favorite sword wielding sweetie. Alas I was let down, while the first few pages were a brief overview of Michonne's life during the initial zombie outbreak those panels fly by and the rest of the book is mostly just a re-print of a fight between Rick and an inmate Dexter during the fight for control of the prison which, at the end of the battle, saw the introduction of Michonne. Written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Charlie Adlard.

And finally Batman #13. This marks the beginning of a multi-title, multi-issue crossover event in the Batman Universe, Death of the Family. Coming off DC's Zero Month Batman is going for broke with this epic story line. The Joker has been missing and presumed dead for the better part of a year. His face was skinned off by The Dollmaker and sent to the Gotham Police. He returns in this issue to reclaim his face and launch a new campaign of terror against....well everyone. This first issue was loaded with easter eggs and references to past Batman stories that every fan will enjoy. I am suspiciously optimistic about this event and hope that it continues in the way it starts, with great twists and high suspense. Written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Greg Capullo.

That's it for this week guys but don't take my word for it. Get down to your local shop and pick up some comics. Keep on Reading.

TFL Reviews: Prometheus (originally posted 6-9-12)

Well here we go guys my first movie review lets see how its goes. First I should let you know that this review might contain spoilers but I will try to keep them light. So I guess the question is: How was Prometheus?

If you don't know the premise of Prometheus then here it is. Set in the same fictional universe that the Alien movie franchise takes place in, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw(Noomi Rapace, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo(Sweden), Sherlock Holmes 2) and Dr. Charlie Holloway(Logan Marshall-Green, Across the Universe, Brooklyn's Finest) are studying ancient civilizations on Earth in hopes of finding a link to our origins which they believe come from an alien race. When they do finally find a link, or an "invitation" as they call it, the Weyland Corp. steps in to sponsor their trek across the galaxies to find the origin of the human race. Once they find what they are looking for, however, the entire mission goes sideways (as in all sci-fi movies) and they are no longer trying to find the humans beginning but trying to prevent the humans end.

Directed by Ridley Scott(Alien, Bladerunner) and written by Jon Spaihts & Damon Lindelof(Lost, Star Trek) this movie was something I was looking forward to seeing since it's announcement. For the longest time both Scott and Lindelof were steadfast in the assertion that this is not a "prequel" to the Alien Saga but merely set in the same universe. Well if this is not a prequel brother, I don't know what is. For anyone who is a fan of those movies it is no major task to recognize the main alien race of the film, their space craft, or the early incarnations of the different xenomorphs in this film.

Lets start with the Good of Prometheus first. The cast of this movie was all pretty amazing. Rapace (Dr. Shaw) is a very strong lead and does bring some major ass-kicking-ness to her character. Charlize Theron plays Vickers, the liaison of the Weyland Corp., accompanying the scientists on their mission and making sure the company gets what it came for. From the on-set she is cold and calculating and perfect as the object of your detest for the film. She is up to something, everyone in the audience knows it, plus her living quarters just make you hate her a little bit more. Idris Elba plays Janek, the classic rock obsessed captain of the Prometheus. While he doesn't have a lot to do in this film he seems to bring a working class every-man vibe to his character that makes him relatable and someone you wish you could have seen more of. Finally the best performance of the movie goes to Michael Fassbender as David, the .Weyland Corp.'s the latest generation of personal assistance androids. He plays the part of a robot perfectly and you really get the sense of total detachment from humanity in his character. He only does what he is programmed to do and feels no emotion about any nefarious acts he may commit. In all the entire cast does a pretty great job at making this movie pop. Plus this movie is visually stunning. From opening to ending the cinematography, scope, and visual-effects are amazing. The set design is incredible and really does a great job of immersing you in the world of the movie. Even the CGI is pretty seamless, and the detailed holographic projection of the galaxy star maps even had Neil deGrasse Tyson talking about them (for more on that just read the post before this: The Last Arcade Meets a Genius).

Now the Bad. While the cast is pretty amazing overall the only dull spot I found was Logan Marshall-Green (Dr. Holloway). He just seemed to be a little out of step with everyone else the film. Also this film might have one to many characters. There are a lot of other scientists and ship crew in this film that are good characters, the only problem is that you tend to loose track of them and forget what happens to those characters. The original Alien movie had such a small cast that you got emotionally invested in every one of them. Prometheus seems to have so many that you end up picking your favorites and just following them. One last thing, the story is a little confusing and doesn't really focus on the answers to some questions. Now that could be deliberate, it does seem to fit in with the rest of the Saga, but to the regular viewer they could just come out scratching their head about some parts. Also it does get a little gory at one point so be prepared, if you're not a fan of blood then I suggest you cover your eyes.

All in all, I really liked Prometheus. If you're not a fan of the Alien you might not like it as much but if you're a fanboy like me every inch of this movie is what you'd hoped for. With tons of homages to the original films and the open-endedness of it's ending Prometheus is a must see for any sci-fi loving fan this summer. I give it 4 out of 5 face-huggers. I'll let this movie wrap it's tail around my neck and implant enjoyment in my chest any day. Cut It Out Of Me!

P.S. Stick around to the end of the credits for a cute little tag, not a scene, just a nice little title card that a true fan will enjoy.

Nu-Ray: Prometheus, E.T., Alfred Hitchcock

Welcome players to the newest addition here at The Final Level, welcome to Nu-Ray, the weekly look at the latest Blu-ray and DVD releases. This week we take a look at Ridley Scott's lastest sci-fi offering Prometheus, the beloved Spielberg film ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, and also a couple of classic Hitchcock thrillers Dial M for Murder & Strangers on a Train.

First up the Alien kinda-sorta-round-about prequel Prometheus. It may have been a little confusing to figure out just what this movie was but in the end the film was an enjoyable romp through the cosmos with a mismatched group of scientists to find the origins of humanity, but in the end they may have found it's destruction. Ok that may have been a little glib but for a full review check out my full opinion of the film in my original Prometheus review from June 9th. So what do we get on this release...well the short of it is "a whole lot", but the catch is that to get all the special features you will have to buy the 4-Disc 3D Blu-ray+DVD+Digital Copy Edition. With that you get all this: Commentary by Director/Producer Ridley Scott • Commentary by Writer Jon Spaihts and Writer/Executive Producer Damon Lindelof • The Peter Weyland Files • Deleted and Alternate Scenes that include an Alternate Opening / Ending • Prometheus: Weyland Corp Archive Second Screen App • The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus • Enhancement Pods • Weyland Corp Archives which includes Pre-Visualizations, Screen Tests and more...

Next up E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 30th Anniversary Edition. This film holds a special place in my childhood as do many other Spielberg classics but it wasn't until last year's Super 8 that I was reminded of just what exactly Steven could do with aliens and children. So what do you collectors have in store: •Digitally Remastered From High Resolution 35MM Original Film Elements to Get the Most From Your HDTV •Combo Pack Includes Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet (download/stream by 4/30/15) •Exciting New Bonus Features •The E.T. Journals: Featuring behind the scenes footage from the filming of the movie, this featurette gives viewers a unique feeling of being on-set and living the excitement of what it was like to make E.T. (Blu-ray Exclusive) •Steven Spielberg & E.T.: The director reflects back on the film and discusses his experience working with children as well as his overall and current perspective on E.T. •BD-Live, My Scenes, Pocket Blu App (Blu-ray Exclusive) •Deleted Scenes •A Look Back: A special insider’s look into the making of E.T. featuring interviews with Steven Spielberg, the cast, and others intimately involved with the film. •The Evolution and Creation of E.T.: From idea to screenplay, through casting and making the film. •The E.T. Reunion: The cast and filmmaker reunite to discuss their thoughts on the impact of the film. •The Music of E.T. A Discussion with John Williams: Interviews and footage of the long-standing relationship between John Williams and Steven Spielberg. •The 20th Anniversary Premiere: Composer John Williams played the score of E.T. live at the Shrine Auditorium for the re-release premier of E.T. This featurette gives us a behind the scenes look at this presentation. •Designs, Photographs and Marketing •Theatrical Trailer. Now that is a lot of stuff but if you really want to get the whole enchilada just plunk down some extra cash for the animated E.T. spaceship Blu-ray case. Click here to check it out.

And to round this Tuesday out we have a double shot of Alfred Hitchcock. Being released today are two of the seminal filmmakers earlier works Strangers on a Train & Dial M for Murder. The really only thing of note for these other than their foray into Blu-ray is that Dial M is being released in 3D. Why? I don't know. Now Dim the Lights and Pass the Popcorn.

Other notable releases today Rock of Ages, The Raven, Little Shop of Horrors: Directors Cut, Shut Up and Play the Hits (The LCD Soundsystem's Last Concert).

Ohio State Marching Band Tribute to Videos Games

Are you ready for some college football...marching band...halftime show...about video games. Yes nerds finally a reason to care about sports and that reason is The Ohio State University Marching Band. This past during the Nebraks vs. Ohio State game the marching band put on a halftime show soon to be forgotten by all you gamers out there. Now it come as a shock to all of you but yes I was in marching band when I was in high school so I have a soft spot for choreographed shows but this is beyond my imagination. Featuring music from Pokemon, Mario Bros., Tetris, Zelda, Halo, & Pac-Man this show was executed. With everything from falling Tetris bricks to full Mario Castle the formation will blow your mind. The absolute best (and my personal favorite) though was a full Epona galloping across the field and rearing up. So go ahead and watch, just click here, and then check out some of the bands other amazing shows, last month they featureed a show about space travel called To Boldly Go, and yes it did have a full field U.S.S. Enterprise trekking across the field. Now Everybody Just Stay in Time.

ZOMBIES!!!!! So Get Ready.

Well players (that's what fans of The Final Level are called...so I have deemed, so let it be) unless you've been living under a rock you know that The Walking Dead in returning next Sunday Oct. 14th 9/8 central on AMC, and if you're like me you are already starting to gear up for the season 3 premiere. Thanks to our buddies over at ThinkGeek.com it just got a little easier. Our geek overlords have put together a Zombie Survival Kit to end all survival kits. So what's inside that makes it so awesome shall we:

The #1 most popular item in the kit: the SOG Tactical Tomahawk - One and a half pounds of 420 stainless steel zombie "persuasion." 15 3/4 in. long. 8 1/4 in. blade. Fiberglass-reinforced nylon handle and sheath. Never needs reloading. In addition to this awesome piece of hardware, you also get the following Zombie Crime Scene Tape, Collapsible Shot Glass, Dissolving Hand Soap Sheets, Survival Kit in a Sardine Can, CRKT Eat'N Tool, Zombie Jerky, Tool Logic Survival Card with Firestarter, Zombie Blast Energy Shot ... plus a length of 550 lb. paracord for good measure, all packed in a black, lightweight, nylon drawstring bag that has the biohazard symbol printed on it and the helpful instructions, "Zombie Survival Kit / In Case of Outbreak: Open Bag.".

Yes you're right that does sound awesome. Its going for $79.99 right now and if you ask me that's well worth it. Just click the Think Geek link above to order your very own and remember if the Zombie Apocalypse happens we all meet at my place and start heading for Alaska. Think Geek: Stuff for Smart Masses.

J.J. Abrams Unveils First Look at New "Star Trek" Movie.

In cased you missed it, last night on Conan nerd filmmaker extraordinaire J.J. Abrams gave America it's first glimpse of the upcoming highly anticipated sequel to his 2009 reboot of Star Trek. Entitled Star Trek Into Darkness it is set for release on May 17th, 2013 and is currently being finished in post-production. Even without the film being totally complete Abrams was still gracious enough to bring a small clip to the late night talk show. As he explains though Paramount, the films distributor, was none to happy about this so J.J. was only allowed to bring a clip that was 3 frames long. To put that into perspective one second of film is comprised of 24 frames, so the clip is really really short, but hey we still get to see Spock in a volcano in some sort of weird suit. To see for yourself just click here. I know its only a fraction of a second clip but I still can't wait to see this movie. Live Long and....you know the rest.

Adele: Skyfall

Adele....just Adele. Ok so it doesn't have quite the same ring as Bond....James Bond but let me tell you that 007 has nothing on Adele's singing ability. The British songstress is the latest artist to take on the Bond franchise's signature opening theme song. Entitled Skyfall this will be the 23rd movie in the famed spy saga and Adele will be providing the signature theme song that plays over the opening credits. Just click here to listen to the song. I have been a Bond fan since childhood and this song brings back memories of Shirley Bassey and her Bond theme classics Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever. The booming vocals and amazing orchestral score instantly transport you back to the classic Bond films of the 60's. This new iteration of films featuring Daniel Craig have been solid and I am interested in seeing where they are headed. Skyfall will be in theaters Nov. 9th and I for one will be there. Let the Skyfall