The Mimic (2017/Well Go Blu-ray)/Tomb Raider (2018 remake/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Twilight People (1972/MVD/VCI Blu-ray w/DVD)

4K Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: A-/B+/B- Sound: B+/A/B & B- Extras: C/C+/C+ Films: B+/B/C+

This set of genre films deal with creepy creatures and other horror twists and turns....

A Korean family moves to the countryside to help take care of their aging grandmother and to move on after the loss of their son, but only to face a new horror ...the ghost of lost child. After discover a little girl in red dress in the woods they take 'her' home... only to start hearing voices calling them to a cave in the woods. They begin to wonder, is the child they saved even human at all?

In Jung Huh's The Mimic (2017), an evil has been recently awakened, an evil spirit that mimics the voices of loved ones and those they lost, tempting people to enter the 'tigers cave'. While the mother still grieves for her lost son she comes to care for the mysterious little girl they found ...but is she only a temptation, a trick to tempt them to enter the caves? As they discover who the little girl is and her tragic past, they discover there are two spirits, one of an innocent girl and another of her evil father's possessed by a man eating tiger. Can they save themselves much less the spirit of a little girl?

This is a horror story, can anyone resist the cry of a young child? Specially of child calling for it's mother? The Koreans know how to tell a good horror/ghost story, it is not about what you can see ...it is about what you can't see and how suddenly it is behind you.

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer is another rare HD shoot that looks god and as good as it can on regular Blu-ray, while the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) Korean 5.1 lossless sound mix often matches it, if not always. Too bad there aren't more tracks here.

Extras include behind the scenes with actors and trailers.

While we are all still recovering from those hideous Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movies from a decade ago, Warner cleans the slate with the new film starring the gorgeous Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) in the role of Laura Croft. Based more on the new video game series, this new Tomb Raider (2018) film is a bit darker and has more of a female Indiana Jones vibe, which was kind of the point all along. This new Lara Croft also isn't an unstoppable superhuman like the Jolie version was and does get hurt and face her own series of challenges. A bit soft in the box office upon its initial release, hopefully this new Tomb Raider film will get some love on home video and warrant a sequel.

The film also stars Dominic West (300), Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained), Daniel Wu (TV's Into the Badlands) and Oscar nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient).

Still mourning from the disappearance of her adventurer Dad, Laura Croft (Vikander) finds herself in her adult life still looking for him. When she gets a clue of his final destination, a mythical Japanese island, she finds herself on an adventure that will force her to risk everything.

Presented in 2160p HEVC/H.265, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on the 4K UHD disc, the film looks incredible in this clean and very detailed transfer. Presented in the original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and with both an 11.1 Dolby Atmos lossless track and a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless track, this is a demo disc worthy presentation that is truly eye popping. Also included is a lesser quality 1080p Blu-ray edition with similar but slightly more compressed features. A digital UV copy is also included.

Special Features (as the press release goes)...

Tomb Raider: Uncovered - The cast and crew reveal the challenges - and the fun - of bringing Lara Croft's thrilling adventures of life for a new generation.

Croft Training - Enter the gym with Award winning actress Alicia Vikander as she prepares for the most physically demanding role of her career and transforms into the iconic action hero Lara Croft.

Breaking Down the Rapids - Join Director Roar Uthaug as he and other members of the cast and crew break down the film's most exciting action set piece.

Lara Croft: Evolution of an Icon - Explore the revolutionary Tomb Raider saga from video games to movies, and discover how Lara Croft became one of the most popular and successful female characters of all time.

This is definitely a film worth checking out and one of the better film adaptations of a video game maybe ever.

Drive-In Movie Auteur Eddie Romero (The BLOOD trilogy) and Roger Corman teamed up for Twilight People aka Island of the Twilight People (1972) which stars a young Pam Grier. Shot in the Philippines, this wildly imaginative film is B movie cheese at its best. Similar to The Island of Dr. Moreau (aka Island Of Lost Souls) and Planet of the Apes, the film features an exotic island full of genetic animalistic humanoids which are all the experiments of a mad scientist.

The film also stars John Ashley (a frequent collaborator of George Romero), Pat Woodell, Jan Merlin, and Charles Macaulay.

From flying bat people to furry faces, the inhabitants of the island are fun and groundbreaking for the time and budget. One character is a man-bat with wings and there are plenty of funny shots of him flying around and avoiding gunfire.

Presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio (this is the first time the film has been released on disc in widescreen) and an English 2.0 LPCM Mono track. I wish I could report that the transfer was flawless but it is in fact not. Color timing seems a little off in some scenes and some film artifacting is seen, especially in some of the film's earlier scenes. The sound mix is clear and fine, however. Also included is an anamorphically enhanced standard definition DVD version with similar (but compressed) features.

Special Features...

Video Interview with director Eddie Romero

Audio commentary by film historian Toby Roan

and an original theatrical trailer

If you like B-movies with decent plots and cheesy action, then Twilight People is a must see.

- Ricky Chiang (The Mimic) & James Lockhart

https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/