BLU-RAY & DVD REVIEWS: Mill Creek Entertainment Movie Sets

[JessHorsley]

New Double Feature and Quad Feature DVDs and Blu-rays Releases Hit Home Video...

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As previously announced last month, Mill Creek Entertainment has - over the last month - released a variety of multi-movie movies on DVD and Blu-ray which will please fans of both well known and lesser known films.

Featuring a number of films from yesteryear which will have genre fans grateful for low prices and multi-movie sets, there's no doubt Mill Creek has something for everyone. I personally received a number of discs to review and have to say I was fairly impressed with the solid selection and organization of these sets. Two of my favorite blu-ray releases include the Stealth & Vertical Limit Double Feature and the Deep Rising & The Puppet Masters Double Feature.

Fans of action films have probably seen a number of these films, including 2005's Stealth featuring Josh Lucas as Lt. Ben Gannon, Jessica Biel as Lt. Kara Wade, Jamie Foxx as Lt. Henry Purcell and Sam Shepard as Capt. George Cummings, pilots who fly with a specially designed and made plane with artificial intelligence who, upon becoming self-aware, decides to rebel. Stealth features an engaging story that's sure to keep film fans engage deven if the plot is a bit lackluster. Thankfully, the special effects and action are impressive and intense. Likewise, 2000's Vertical Limit features Bill Paxon as Elliot Vaughn, Chris O'Donnell as Peter Garrett and Robin Tunney as Annie Garrett, climbers who become stuck in a life-threatening attempt to ascend K2, one of the world's largest and most life-threatening climbs. Again, a great adrenaline-filled action film that'll keep fans strapped to their seats, Vertical Limit - when paired with Stealth - makes a great addition to action film fan's libraries.

Likewise, another solid addition to any sci-fi film fan's library is the Deep Rising & The Puppet Masters Double Feature, which includes two of my favorite 1990's sci-fi films. 1998's Deep Rising is one of my favorites, featuring Treat Williams as a rogue ship captain who's sea-faring vessel is taken over by mercenaries for a criminal activity which leads to a run in with a monstrous sea beast the likes of which have never been seen before. While maybe not the most original or even best made sci-fi monster movies, Deep Rising is extremely well paced, filled with fun characters, and a brilliant nemesis in the monster. And which sci-fi fan doesn't love 1994's The Puppet Masters starring Donald Sutherland as Andrew Nivens, Eric Thal as Sam Nivens and Julie Warner as Mary Sefton, a trio of scientists who must investigate an invasion by parasitic slug-like aliens. Based on a classic 1951 novel by Robert Heinlein, The Puppet Masters is - like Deep Rising - well paced and filled with plenty of suspense and tension. The alien menace - again, not as original as they are intriguing - make for a great villain that's both haunting and personal.

Other DVD Mill Creek multi-movie sets worth picking up for genre fans include...

- the Hollow Man/Hollow Man 2/Fortress 2/The Harvest 4-Pack DVD, which includes both the Hollow Man remake as well as its updated sequel, the less-than-stellar Fortress 2 featuring Christopher Lambert, and The Harvest, a little known 1992 film that's fun, tense and somewhat original.

- the Agnes of God/Mary Reilly/The Messenger/Pact of Silence 4-Pack DVD, which includes a number of thriller/horror films. 1996's Mary Reilly starring Julia Roberts as well as 2007's The Messenger starring Kristen Stewart, Dylan McDermott and Penelope Ann Miller stand out on this 4-movie set as they are both intense films filled with plenty of character development and shocking moments.

Over the last month, Mill Creek Entertainment has released a total of 12 blu-ray sets and 22 DVD sets, each of which would make a fine addition to fan home video libraries. Not to mention the suggested retail price of each is only $9.98. And I've even seen some of these sets selling as low as $5.99 in some stores. If you're a fan of genre film and are looking to add some entertaining movies to your collection without spending a lot of money, Mill Creek Entertainment has what you're looking to own!

- Jess C. Horsley