Warning: no blood and gore!

Title: Nochnoi dozor: Unrated
Year: 2004
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Rating: Unrated
Length: 114 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: DTS: 5.1, Russian: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Commentary

Stars:
Konstantin Khabensky
Vladimir Menshov
Valery Zolotukhin
Maria Poroshina
Galina Tyunina

Plot:
The forces of Light and Darkness have co-existed in a delicate balance for hundreds of years...until now. Even as the Night Watch polices the Dark Others-among them vampires, witches and shape-shifters-a chain of mysterious events triggers a dreaded, age-old prophecy, shattering the balance and unleashing an apocalyptic war unlike any the world has ever known!

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Closed Captioned
D-Box

I found this movie to be very slow-paced at times.  Some of the action sequences were good, but much was left to the imagination, e.g., this Gloom concept.  It is clear that this movie was intended as a set-up for a sequel.  The ending was somewhat anti-climatic and left many unanswered questions.  It was just OK.

Rating:

Yeah, actually, I watched Day Watch earlier in my marathon, because I didn't realize it was a sequel to Night Watch.  I was just saying that when I watched Night Watch, it became obvious by the end that they were planning a sequel (didn't know it was to be a trilogy) because there were so many issues left open-ended.  I'm now curious about where they would have gone with it in the third film, or did they just condense the 2nd and 3rd films into Day Watch?

Title: Underworld: Unrated
Year: 2003
Director: Len Wiseman
Rating: Unrated
Length: 134 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: PCM: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Italian: PCM: 5.1, Italian: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, Italian, Commentary

Stars:
Kate Beckinsale
Scott Speedman
Michael Sheen
Shane Brolly
Bill Nighy

Plot:
In the Underworld, Vampires are a secret clan of modern aristocratic sophisticates whose mortal enemies are the Lycans (werewolves), a shrewd gang of street thugs who prowl the city's underbelly. No one knows the origin of their bitter blood feud, but the balance of power between them turns even bloodier when a beautiful young Vampire warrior and a newly-turned Lycan with a mysterious past fall in love. Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman star in this modern-day, action-packed tale of ruthless intrigue and forbidden passion all set against the dazzling backdrop of a timeless, Gothic metropolis.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Featurettes
Music Videos
Storyboard Comparisons
Outtakes/Bloopers

This movie was pretty action-packed right from the start.  While I felt that Beckinsale's performance was good, the strongest character was Michael Sheen as Lucian.  Brolly's portrayal of Kraven left a whole lot to be desired.  I love the way this movie was filmed, giving it a true "Transylvania" feel, it almost felt like it was in black-in-white at times.  I also enjoyed the score.
Not the strongest of stories, but not bad either.

Rating:

Title: Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Year: 2004
Director: Alexander Witt
Rating: R
Length: 94 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: PCM: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish

Stars:
Milla Jovovich
Sienna Guillory
Oded Fehr
Thomas Kretschmann
Sophie Vavasseur

Plot:
After narrowly escaping the horrors of the underground Hive facility, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is quickly thrust back into a war raging above ground between the living and the Undead. It's a heart-pounding race against time as the group faces off against hordes of blood-thirsty zombies, stealthy Lickers, mutant canines and the most sinister foe yet.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Blu-Wizard

Not as good as the original.  I think what bothers me about this movie is that they've concentrated so much on the action that there's zero character development.  You don't get to know any of the characters well enough to develop any kind of connection.  The "bad" guy, other than Nemesis, keeps changing and there's little indication as to what their true motivation is.  The good guys get bitten and turn into bad guys, there really doesn't seem to be any way to overcome the forces that are behind the conspiracy, and in the end, when you think you've won, you actually haven't.  Obviously, they were setting up the sequel!  This barely gets a three rating for action and Nemesis.

Rating:

Title: American Psycho: Uncut Version
Year: 2000
Director: Mary Harron
Rating: Unrated
Length: 102 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: DTS: 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Christian Bale
Justin Theroux
Josh Lucas
Bill Sage
Chloe Sevigny

Plot:
Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a Wall Street yuppie, obsessed with success, status and style, with a stunning fiancée (Reese Witherspoon). He is also a psychotic killler who rapes, murders and dismembers both strangers and acquaintances without provocation or purpose. Based on the controversial novel, the film offers a sharp satire to the dark side of yuppie culture in the '80s, while setting forth a vision that is both terrifying and chilling.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Closed Captioned

This is an interesting study of the Wall Street yuppie psyche.  Even though this is described as a satire, and it is hard to believe that anyone would believe that someone would obsess over raised lettering on a co-workers business card, the underlying kernel of truth is sadly there.  Patrick's sterile personality, monotonous speech patterns and plastic demeanor remind me a lot of a certain U.S. Vice President.  The repeated mis-identification of people's names (and the fact that everyone is a vice-president) is a chilling commentary on the clone-ish nature of the group of people who make up this homogeneous sect of ladder climbing, greedy corporate "officers" who have no feeling for any other human being besides envy.

An enjoyable psychological thriller.

Rating:

Title: Blade: New Line Platinum Series
Year: 1998
Director: Stephen Norrington
Rating: R
Length: 120 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Wesley Snipes
Stephen Dorff
Kris Kristofferson
N'Bushe Wright
Donal Logue

Plot:
Wesley Snipes stars as the tortured soul Blade - half man, half immortal. Blade sharpens his lethal skills under the guidance of Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), his mentor, guardian and fellow hunter of the night. When the bloodthirsty Immortals' lord, Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), declares war on the human race, Blade is humanity's last hope for survival.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned
Isolated Score with Commentary

I quite enjoyed this film.  Lots of action, a decent plot, great effects for the most part, good acting, a decent score and lots of atmosphere.  The blood bath at the beginning was pretty gross.  The serum that caused the vampires to "explode" reminded me a lot of the effects of exposure to Mars atmosphere in Total Recall.  Pretty cool.  Definitely a keeper.

Rating:

Title: Blade: Trinity: New Line Platinum Series
Year: 2004
Director: David S. Goyer
Rating: Unrated
Length: 122 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), English: DTS ES: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Wesley Snipes
Kris Kristofferson
Dominic Purcell
Jessica Biel
Ryan Reynolds

Plot:
Blade (Wesley Snipes) returns as the ultimate vampire hunter in the explosive third and final film, 'Blade: Trinity'. For years, Blade has fought against the vampires in the cover of the night. But now, after falling into the crosshairs of the FBI, he is forced out into the daylight, where he is driven to join forces with a clan of human vampire hunters he never knew existed – The Nightstalkers. Together with Abigail (Jessica Biel) and Hannibal (Ryan Reynolds), two deftly trained Nightstalkers, Blade follows a trail of blood to the ancient creature that is also hunting him, the original vampire, Dracula.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned
Both Theatrical (rated R) and Extended Versions (not rated)

This film was the weakest of the trilogy for me.  The movie dragged at several points and I did not care for the Hannibal King character..I just don't like wise asses, not to mention that while Blade and Abigail are killing off vampires left and right during the big, climactic fight scene, Hannibal has fights with just two and almost loses both.  Purcell does a good job with Drake, and I really liked his "primal form".  The whole lock up sequence at the police station and the escape were just a waste of valuable film time.
Fortunately, this seems to be the end of the story...hopefully!

Rating: