Tromeo and Juliet [Blu-ray]Tromeo and Juliet [Blu-ray]
Body Piercing. Kinky Sex. Dismemberment. The Things That Made Shakespeare Great! See Shakespeare the way he was meant to be seen: the Troma way! Directed by Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger) and written by James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead), Tromeo & Juliet moves the classic tale of star-crossed lovers from 16th century Verona to a crumbling pre-Giuliani New York, where young Tromeo (Will Keenan) and Juliet (Jane Jensen) must defy their families’ endless feud in order to be together for eterni
Rating:  List Price: $ 24.95 Price: $ 18.99 The Karate Kid [Blu-ray]
A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader’s ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi
Rating: List Price: $ 24.95 Price: $ 16.20
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(out of 63 reviews)
(out of 4 reviews)
Review by Mark A. Kintzley for Tromeo and Juliet [Blu-ray]
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First thing you need to do before you read the rest of this review is read the title of the movie again…TROMEO and Juliet…it is a Troma film. Ok…now that we have that out of the way we can move on with the review.This film is no Gone With the Wind, but then I say to you that Gone With the Wind is no Tromeo and Juliet either. Troma is not defined by your typical Hollywood rules where movies are concerned. Troma sits off in the dark corner of the big room where all the class clowns hang out and are just in their own world. Tromeo and Juliet does what Troma does best and does it better than ever before. I never really believed that I would enjoy something more than the Toxic Avenger coming out of Tromaville. This movie quickly took over the position as my favorite Troma film. The characters are over the top and fun. The script is funny and Tromeo’s black fartin’ dad is hilarious. A great cast of characters with an intelligent(as in Troma intelligent) script.I personally thought the cook for the Capulets was far more sexy than Juliet, but what do I know. I will say one thing about some of the off color content…be warned if you are easily offended. There is plenty by which to be offended in this film. For instance, a freakshow who desires his sister in every way, a father who is freakishly attracted to his daughter, as well as plenty of other off color scenes. Did you expect anything less from Troma though. Watch for the tons and tons of memorabilia from the other Troma films throughout this film as well as the party where you see a cast of characters from the other films to include Toxie himself. I have to say that when the characters break into their “Shakespearean” dialog, it just makes me giggle. Very funny if you ask me.Overall this is a pretty solid Troma film with a nice story done in vintage Troma style.
Review by M. Casarino for Tromeo and Juliet [Blu-ray]
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I’ve always had this fantasy that some thoroughly disreputable quick-buck movie would end up being brilliant. Like, what if some soft-core “Erotic Thriller” ended up having gutsy, breakthrough performances and a riveting plot? What if “Police Academy 12″ was Oscar-worthy? My fantasies came through with “Tromeo & Juliet.” The very concept of a punk “Romeo” is brilliant – they conceived this before Baz Luhrmann’s movie – but seeing as how this is Troma we’re talking about, Lloyd Kaufman could have steered this in a very wrong (read: conventional) direction. Fortunately, they managed to find a young mad genius named James Gunn to write the script, and they found some hungry young acting talent who threw themselves into the project. And Kaufman, perhaps inspired by all this, finally directed like a man more concerned with making a good movie than cashing in on the quick-buck exploitation trends that nearly ruined “Troma’s War” and “Sgt. Kabukiman.”Not that “Tromeo & Juliet” isn’t a quick-buck exploitation movie. It is. It’s also a hilarious and inventive comedy, an art film, a soft-core porno, a gross-out gore flick, a surprisingly moving love story, and – best of all – one of the most oddly faithful Shakespeare adaptations I’ve ever seen. Amazingly, it’s all these things all at the same time, sometimes even in the same scene (check out Murray Que’s final scene, in the tattoo parlor). “Tromeo” captures the spirit, the wordplay, and the abandon that so many staid Shakespeare movies completely miss. And it’s one of the most energetic and creative movies you’re likely to see.I could gush on and on about “Tromeo,” for it is my favorite movie. Now that James Gunn is a big-time – although still delightfully weird – Hollywood writer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a surge in “Tromeo” sales. This is a good thing. “Tromeo” is a completely unique and exhilirating movie, and it deserves a huge audience. It’s not for everyone, I suppose (the close-up shot of the nipple being pierced will pretty much clear the room of those who should have stayed away in the first place). But if you like a little trash in your art, or art in your trash, give “Tromeo” a chance.Oh – and the budget for “Tromeo” was $350,000, or about what it costs to cater lunch for a week on your basic Adam Sandler movie.
Review by Ton for Tromeo and Juliet [Blu-ray]
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William Shakespeare’s play Romeo & Juliet has been interpreted hundreds of times on stage and in films. Sometimes literally following the original text (which is, at times, vague in stage directions), sometimes in new interpretations where directors chose to show their own view on the piece. Some are good, many are mediocre. Lloyd Kaufman’s film certainly stands out as one of the most original, modern versions of the bard’s creation, It may be placed in a modern-day decaying New York and full of the modern-day anti-social behavior, body piercing, dismemberment and kinky sex (which, for the more than casual reader, Shakespeare himself wasn’t shying away from), but at the same time it stays incredibly close to the overall feel and point of what the play is all about, which is quite an effort. Kaufman wrote the script with his co-director on the film James Gunn, who is now famous for writing two successful Scooby Doo movies, doing the impossible by making a perfect remake of an already perfect film with his script for Dawn of the Dead and directing one of the best horror-films of the year: Slither. Lloyd Kaufmans innovative directorial view alongside with James Gunns original and unrestricted writing make for an interpretation of Shakespeare’s play that maybe not everyone will “get” immediately, but will certainly be recognized by a truly unique and highly important view on a classic play. With a script that is written entirely in iambic meter, appearances of Motorhead’s Lemmy and an outrageous forceful soundtrack watching Tromeo & Juliet is something no one will ever forget. Apart from it’s historical significance, Tromeo &
Juliet is a treasure for film-lovers of all kind. Not only for the script by James Gunn, now a good influence on Hollywood while working from the inside, but also because it features an early part of legendary actress Debbie Rochon. Well known by everyone familiar with films that are made on lower budgets. The 10th anniversary edition on DVD adds to all that by including so many as-yet undiscovered gems that not only all the information one could wish for about the film itself and the experience of making it is presented in ways that make it impossible to turn off the DVD, but also a very honest (and disturbing) look is given into the ways independent cinema has to surviver these days. In many ways the extra’s on the disc are an invaluable addition to the already impressive amount given on Kaufman’s film-school “Make Your Own Damn Movie”. Furtermore historical items from the Troma vaults which include James Gunn, Debbie Rochon and other contributors to this masterpiece are included, and the film itself is, apart from looking better then ever, accompanied by no less than four audio-commentaries, each and everyone informative, excruciatingly funny and all done for serious addition to the film instead of the boring and nonsensical commentaries that are so common these days. There are new
commentaries (one with Kaufman and Gunn together), but also the one James Gunn did for the original release of the DVD but couldn’t be included there for some of honesty he displays about some other people is present on this disc. With fan-recreations of a few of the scenes from the film, a video diary of Lloyd Kaufman’s visit to the set of James Gunn’s Slither and a visit the two brought together to Eli Roth’s Hostel Birthday party and much more, this is the ultimate set everyone must own. Weather you are a film historian, someone interested in interpretations of the great Bard’s work, a fan of great cinema, a fighter for independent cinema, a fan of James Gunn, interested in learning more on making films on a low budget, a fan of Lloyd Kaufman or whatever: this is the most important DVD-release of this millennium!
Review by Arthur Martin for Tromeo and Juliet [Blu-ray]
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According to the Troma website, this 2-disc edition of TROMEO AND JULIET is going to include:
*4 different audio commentaries featuring writer James Gunn (SLITHER), director Lloyd Kaufman (THE TOXIC AVENGER), actor Sean Gunn (GILMORE GIRLS), film editor Frank Reynolds (IN THE BEDROOM) and Troma staff editor Gabriel Friedman (TERROR FIRMER, CITIZEN TOXIE, POULTRYGEIST).
*2 hours of interviews with cast and crew including Debbie Rochon (Ness), Tiffany Shepis (Peter), Sean Gunn (Sammy), Valentine Miele (Murray), Stephen Blackehart (Benny), and Lemmy (of Motorhead).
*GETTING HOSTEL WITH HOLLYWOOD: James Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman visit Eli Roth’s birthday party.
*SLITHER-ING THROUGH HOLLYWOOD: A brand-new, expanded, uncut version of Lloyd Kaufman’s video diary on the set of James Gunn’s SLITHER.
*Deleted scenes, plus a featurette of James Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman commenting on the deleted scenes.
*Exclusive never-before-seen rehearsal footage of Jane Jensen and Debbie Rochon.
*Willie Wisely music video, featuring Andy Dick and Kara Monaco
*Classic Troma movie introductions featuring the cast of TROMEO AND JULIET
And more.
Review by Bradley Tobin for Tromeo and Juliet [Blu-ray]
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“Tromeo and Juliet” is to Troma fans what “Die Hard” is to Action fans, what “The Exorcist” is to Horror fans, and what “Tootsie” is to Cross-dressing fans.The Bards Greatest Romance gets the Troma Treatment in the Grandest Scale. Lesbianism, Language, Gore… Everything is overdone Beautifully. Its Storyline (and it’s similarity’s to the Real Romeo and Juliet) is pretty Inconsequential, but, as you’ve probably guessed, it’s about Forbidden love between two teens whose Family’s are Rivals. The makers cleverly (well, cleverly compared to a lot of their previous work) twist the more famous elements and make them more Modern, more Sick and more Funny.The Acting is Oscar worthy, (keeping in mind I’m only comparing this to Other Troma films) Jane Jensen and Will Keenan seem to have a Genuine Attraction, which threatens to make the film… Realistic, a Realistic Troma film, Times really are Changing. The Rest of the performances bring the film back to the Troma Level we all know and love.If you Know what you’re getting in for, “Tromeo and Juliet” will Surprise with its Assuredness. If you are New to this sort of film, it Will grow on you… It always does.
Review by A. Chin for The Karate Kid [Blu-ray]
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I have loved this movie ever since watching for the first time as child in the 80′s. However, I had held out on adding it to my personal movies collection because the DVD did NOT offer 5.1 sound. WTH?!? So when I saw the Blu Ray for sale (and it has DTS), I jumped at the chance.
The BR video quality is pretty good. Not as good as say The Transformers (Megan Fox in HD! But that’s for another review…), but pretty good for a 25 year old movie. The colors and crispness are very good (again, not as good as recent movies). During the scene where Daniel catches the fly with the chopsticks, I can see the fishing line that is holding the fly. Not sure if that’s visible in the DVD or not since I did not own it, but it’s something I looked for when watching the BR disc.
As previously mentioned, the movie has 5.1 DTS sound which really sounds great. While this is not an action film that has explosions, car chases, etc that really show off the best of 5.1 surround, the 5.1 soundtrack really did add to the movie experience and give it a fuller sound. Watching Daniel go through all the Cobra Kai at the tourney (a 4.0 on the Bill Simmons Vengeance Scale), with the “You’re the Best!” song playing in 5.1 is awesome.
As far as extras, there is a special “Blu Pop” feature where you can watch the movie with commentary from Ralph Macchio and Billy Zabka and some pop up trivia info. Provides some interesting info about the movie, the characters (you’ll hear Zabka explain Martin Kove’s perspective on Kreese; Zabka is great during this entire feature), the filming, etc.
Overall, I loved the BR disc and am happy that I held out from buying the DVD. Even though I must’ve seen this movie about 187 times already (thanks to HBO and Encore and a VHS copy I must’ve worn out as a kid), viewing #188 was just as good as all but #1.
Review by Vic W. Li for The Karate Kid [Blu-ray]
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Everyone that grew up in the 80′s loved this movie. Great one liner quotes that people STILL USE til this day. Best of its series. Didn’t like part 2, 3, or 4 that much. The movie still holds up even for today’s standards although there’s some bad cheezy lines.
Review by Dan for The Karate Kid [Blu-ray]
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I assume everyone is already familiar enough with the plot of the movie, so I’ll focus my review on the quality of the Blu-Ray transfer.
Unfortunately, I was wholly unimpressed. The picture completely lacked color depth and detail. Just in the opening scenes as Daniel and his mother drive off to California, the car looks like a maroon splotch in the distance. Later in the tournament scenes, faces in the crowd were hazy, and even the main characters on the screen lacked any detail. Even in the best cases, with a close-up on a single character, there was just no detail. I expected to be able to make out skin pores, individual strands of hair/stubble, etc., but it looked just like a mediocre DVD. I also expected to see bright colors at the beach, the high school soccer practice, and the tournament, but everything looked washed out. The night scene at the beach was one of the few dark scenes. The picture got very grainy, but not as bad as I had feared based on watching the movie up to that point. Certainly no inky blacks, but not the major macroblocking as I was expecting.
This Blu-Ray has a new feature called Blu-Pop, which is similar to the Pop Up Videos on VH1 way back when. At various points in the movie, either trivia tidbits (“Sensei means teacher in Japanese”) or behind-the-scenes commentary by either Ralph Macchio or William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) would pop up. This was interesting, but the most frustrating thing was that there was no way to turn it off once you had it on. Unlike every other Blu-Ray disc I own, the menu button is disabled for Karate Kid, so you can’t toggle that feature on/off at will. I had to keep hitting the Next Chapter button on my remote to get to the end and restart it without Blu-Pop turned on.
I see that some people make excuses for the poor picture quality by saying that the movie is over 25 years old. That’s a fair point, but I’d encourage people to take a look at Grease on Blu-Ray to compare. Grease is about 8 years older and looks absolutely fantastic — just like any modern release, albeit with a couple soft scenes here and there. It is possible to do a decent transfer with an old film. My guess is that they simply upscaled the digitized DVD version and called it a day, when they should have gone back to the original film and retransferred it in HD. I have no knowledge of the process they used, so this is simply my guess.
Overall a very disappointing experience. If you have Netflix, I’d recommend streaming it from there. Owning it on Blu-Ray will not give you any improvement in picture quality.
Review by Roloff for The Karate Kid [Blu-ray]
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I firmly believe that in a 1000 years this film will still be played as an example of the finest art of American movie making ever. It’s a remarkable story, Daniel Larusso is probably one of the most likeable kids ever played on screen. This movie has so many greats about it, it’s hard to explain. The setting and characters in the movie are complex and wonderful. For a kid who grew up in the Midwest, this movie showed me what I believed California was really like. I really thought all kids in California hung out at the beach kicking soccer balls around fires and rode around on dirt bikes.
The story is great, almost any male boy can recognize with the theme of this movie at sometime in their life, how to deal with bullies who are physically violent to you for no reason. Now let me say this as well, Johnny and the Cobra Kais were mislead by that psychotic karate instructor, “Johnny Kreese.” Now a little discussed topic about the Karate Kid is “what makes Kreese tick?” I think I have an answer and since my glowing review would probably sound like all the other 150 5 star reviews I’ll just discuss one more complex character of the movie who is misunderstood.
I beleive John Kreese, was sent to Vietnam at a young age, as a young man he was idealistic and had compassion for people. When he first saw combat, he had the oppurtunity to finish a wounded enemy soldier, instead he showed mercy and let the man live, immediately the man pulled a hand grenade and killed John’s best friend. He realized that his weakness had gotten his friend killed, this angered him and plagued him with guilt, he then came to a conclusion, I must kill the enemy, or he will kill me. This is where it came to Kreese that “mercy is for the weak.” When John came home from the war he learned Karate, during his study he was taught that Karate is used for self defense. John never changed the philosophy of Karate, he just knew from practical experience that shooting a sniper before he shoots you was the best defense. This is the foundation of the Cobra Kai, the best defense is a strong and punishing offense. John loved his Cobra Kais, and that is why he was so tough on them, he wished his father was tougher on him when he was younger, so that he would not have had to grow up so quickly one fateful day in Vietnam. When you watch Karate Kid, do not judge Kreese as some brutal man who gets enjoyment out of watching a 15 year old kid get beaten, understand although his intentions and actions may seem misguided, his heart is just that of a patriot. He truly beleives the beatings Daniel takes will make him a stronger man, the ending of this movie is proof that Kreese, although portrayed as the bad guy, truly is the most motivating factor behind the whole movie. Ultimately and indirectly Kreese provides Daniel with friendship and self confidence that would not have happened otherwise.