Favorite Blu-rays of 2019!

In our final video of 2019, we share our favorite DVD, Blu-ray, 4K, music, and book releases of the entire year! HAPPY NEW YEAR from Cereal At Midnight!

The Creature Columns: "Journey - The Most Emotional Video Game I Have Ever Played" By Tom "Creature" Jeffers

 Journey, from Thatgamecompany, might be one of the greatest gaming experiences I have ever had. This game is a work of aching beauty that almost feels like a journey towards spiritual edification. I know that seems an odd thing to say about a video game, but that is exactly the way Journey makes you feel. I have played games since the Atari 2600. I have even played the original Pong on the original machine so long ago. I am an avid PC gamer and play many MMO games. The point I wish to make here is that Journey is hands down the most emotional, moving, and powerful experience I have ever had in a virtual world. I am honestly a joyous wreck over it. It made me smile for hours. I rarely have an expressed emotional response over mass media. I do “cry” occasionally over film. While I did not openly cry when I finished Journey, I easily could have. The best way to describe it is the unrelenting sense of awe and utter joy the game brings. I am not certain how the developer managed this. I do not know if they used psychology or subliminal persuasion, but the game just leaves you with a feeling of rapturous wonder! The music is so beautiful that it carries you away to the land you are in.

Our Favorite Movies of 2019!

In this video, we count down our favorite movies of 2019!

Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays from Cereal At Midnight!

Cereal At Midnight wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Also, find out what's coming as we close out 2019 and begin a new year!

The Creature Columns: The Reapers are the Angels Book Review by Tom "Creature" Jeffers

Southern Gothic literature has been a pleasure of mine for many a year now. The way the words roll off the page and into the heart and soul of a man is a beautiful thing to experience. In many of my graduate studies, I was confronted by such prose regularly. The likes of Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, Harper Lee, and Cormac McCarthy come to mind. To this list of masters I would add one name: Alden Bell. The name even seems to fit the description. Bell is the author of The Reapers are the Angels. This novel is southern Gothic through and through. It also happens to be about zombies and the apocalyptic world that such things bring about. This is a beautiful work that deserves the highest praise possible. Even though I enjoy all forms of literature, the zombie novel is generally delegated to the bottom of the pile when considering serious prose. They are generally formulaic and redundant. Such stories can only take a reader so far. However, The Reapers are the Angels manages to transcend such a label and become so much more.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review!

Heath and Bree have seen Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker! In this video, we present both a non-spoiler overview as well as a spoiler-heavy deep dive! The Force will be with you...always

The King of Queens: The Complete Series Arrives on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment!

Mill Creek Entertainment has officially announced The King of Queens: The Complete Series for Blu-ray release! All 207 episodes from the nine-season run are presented in widescreen HD on 20 Blu-ray discs!

A long-running sitcom smash hit, The King of Queens stars Kevin James, Leah Remini, Jerry Stiller, Victor Williams, Patton Oswalt, and Gary Valentine. Guest stars include Lou Ferrigno, Anne Meara, Ricki Lake, Rachel Dratch, Bryan Cranston, and Ray Romano. The box set is manufactured by Mill Creek Entertainment exclusively for Couch Potato Entertainment for online sale at retailers including Amazon and eBay.

The set also contains special features including commentaries by Kevin James and show creator/executive producer Michael Weithorn, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a series retrospective, a thank-you to the fans, a 200th episode celebration, and a look at the writers of the show.

The King of Queens: The Complete Series is available NOW!

Home Alone: A Cereal At Midnight Commentary!

Cereal At Midnight's Christmas celebration kicks off with this audio commentary of the 1990 holiday smash hit Home Alone! Join Heath and Bree as they discuss personal memories of the movie, the possibility of a John Hughes Cinematic Universe, the curse of the South Bend Shovel Slayer, and whether or not we believe that Elvis is not only alive and well, but also an extra in the movie! Stock up on cheese pizzas and grab your copy of Angels with Filthy Souls, because we're HOME ALONE!

Josh Jabcuga’s Sugar Rush (December 2019 Edition)

Your High Fructose, Lo-Fidelity Guide to Snap! Crackle! Pop Culture! This month, Josh Reveals His Favorite Book of 2019!

Mark Sieber is one of us.

Sieber is a fan, a genre enthusiast, a defender of physical media, a collector, a critic, and a writer.

I list critic and writer separately, because Sieber wears many hats, and in his case, he’s earned the distinction of being a critic and a writer. It’s never been more evident than with the collection of writings in his book published this year by the venerable Cemetery Dance Publications, He Who Types Between the Rows: A Decade of Horror Drive-In.

Yes, there’s that old adage that everyone is a critic, and with the advent of social media, it sure feels like everyone has an opinion and is quick to the draw to fire off a few rounds. Not all of those opinions are informed, and few fall into the same league as Sieber, who has been in the trenches and witnessed firsthand the drive-ins, the multiplexes, the horror paperback boom of the 80s, the rise of the small press and boutique labels in the 90s, the evolution of home video from VHS to DVD to Blu-ray, along with the ascent of writers like Joe R. Lansdale, David J. Schow, Joe Hill, Brian Keene, and Robert McCammon, to name a few.

Name a writer and Sieber is most likely not only familiar with their work, but well-versed in it, as well. Name a character actor, a scream queen, or a straight-to-video auteur, and Sieber has been there, bought the ticket, and watched all the special features on the DVD release.

In other words, Mark Sieber knows his stuff.

Star Wars Talk feat. Krazy Joe from MegaPodTastic & CinemaSickness!

Heath is joined by Krazy Joe from MegaPodTastic and CinemaSickness for a Star Wars conversation that includes an appreciation of the Ewoks movies, first Kenner action figures, collectible shampoos, and the importance of integrity in a market that rewards negativity. This one goes all over the place, but we hope you have half as much fun watching it as we did recording it!

Check out Krazy Joe at MegaPodTastic.com, subscribe to the podcast and the YouTube channel, and don't miss MegaPodTastic Podcast Episode 314 in which Heath shares a Christmas song for the Dog Days of Advent! Find it HERE: http://narpin.libsyn.com/megapodtastic-314-dog-days-of-advent-day-13

The Creature Columns: The Monster (2016) Movie Review by Tom "Creature" Jeffers

Bryan Bertino’s The Monster is a fantastically-fun monster movie in a genre that is filled to the brim with questionable offerings. Bertino has a command of his writing and director skills like few in the industry manage. He is the total package when it comes to what he seeks to do. Many will remember his incredibly effective and terrifyingly-chilling movie The Strangers from 2008. The Monster is no less spectacular and tension-filled. This is a little movie that hits every bullseye it aims at. The film is a study in tension and the unknown. It is fantastically acted with brilliant practical effects. This is a film that feels more like a late 70’s or 80’s movie that deals with contemporary issues. The film is gorgeous and makes use of powerful storytelling. This is more than a terror-driven story. It is a story of the inner workings of the human heart. I love it when a horror movie transcends the genre into something more than just a gore spattered thrill ride. 

Thrift Store Cassette Tape and Vinyl Record Haul!

In this video, Heath and Bree share their most recent thrift store music haul featuring a stack of cassette tapes and vinyl records!

Be sure to check out our HUGE yard sale cassette tape find HERE: https://youtu.be/jyrNfsg50iI

UltraSeven Full Review Plus Steelbook vs Standard Blu-ray Comparison

In our second and final video about UltraSeven, Heath gives a full, detailed review of the UltraSeven TV show, now on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment! We also compare the standard Blu-ray edition to the SteelBook version, and show plenty of screenshots that illustrate how UltraSeven is the next evolution in the Ultraman franchise! Stay tuned to Cereal At Midnight for all the latest developments and breaking news as Ultraman arrives on Blu-ray in North America!

Be sure to check out our previous UltraSeven unboxing video HERE and check out ALL of our Ultraman coverage in this Ultraman Playlist HERE

Ultraseven Blu-ray Unboxing and Overview! (Ultraman Volume 03!)

In this video, we unbox the latest release in the Ultraman Blu-ray collection from Mill Creek Entertainment! We discuss the disc count, series length, and go page by page through the booklet, putting Ultraseven in the context of the entire Ultraman franchise! Be sure to order your copy of Ultraseven, releasing on December 2019, and stay tuned for our full, in-depth review of Ultraseven!

Order the Ultraseven Standard edition as seen in this video HERE

Order the Ultraseven SteelBook edition HERE

MVD Entertainment Wins Black Friday! (MVD Rewind Collection Sale Haul)

For the second year in a row, MVD Entertainment has won Black Friday! In this haul video, we wrap up our coverage of Black Friday 2019 with a look at MVD's STELLAR holiday sale which saw titles at 80 percent off the retail price!

Here's more MVD Rewind Collection coverage from Cereal At Midnight!

MVD Black Friday 2018 Video
Abominable Review 
Double Impact Review 
Showdown Review
Double Dragon Review 

The Creature Columns: Twilight Imperium - A Fantasy Flight Game Review by Tom "Creature" Jeffers

I have been a gamer for most of my life. I have played everything from video games, card games, role-playing games, miniature based games, to board games of every stripe. I dearly love the interaction of both competitive and cooperative games. I think having a variety of games in one’s life makes for a much better social experience. I realize that most of us game online because it is so much easier. However, if you happen to be one of the lucky individuals that have an in-person gaming group, I would love to introduce you to one of my all-time favorite games. Twilight Imperium, by Fantasy Flight Games, is a game that encompasses just about everything any good gamer could want. It has a great sci-fi setting. It has a very deep game that includes politics, intrigue, and very cool fights. It has a set of races that I simply adore.  Frankly, I wish there were movies or novels that could go with this game. I would absolutely buy them.      

Black Friday Movie Mega Haul!

In this video, we cover all the 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD pick-ups that we scored during this year's Black Friday retail sales!

Operation Crossbow (1965) Blu-ray Review

I wasn't sure what to expect going into the new Blu-ray of Operation Crossbow, a 1965 British World War II film with a stellar cast, now on Blu-ray from Warner Archive. Having never seen the movie before, I was prepared for an adventure movie set against the backdrop of global conflict, and the cover art, which replicates much of the film's original poster art, seems to promise thrills a minute. The blurb on the poster seems to double down on this promise: "They were schooled in sabotage...licensed to kill...and sent to destroy the world's deadliest rocket base!" As it turns out, that's an apt description, but it doesn't begin to do this film justice. Operation Crossbow is stunning, powerful, tragic, inspiring, and yes, also exciting. It's the kind of experience that the big screen seems to have been made for.

Comic Book Savant Crossover! Disney Plus Discussion: The Mandalorian, Marvel, and More!

Heath is joined by James, aka Comic Book Savant, for a long-form discussion about Disney Plus! Now that we've had a while to take this new streaming service for a spin, we've got thoughts on everything, including The Mandalorian, Marvel movies and shows, forgotten comic book cartoons and lost animated gems, Disney deep cuts, missing classics, and even that Jeff Goldblum show! Pull up a chair for this 51-minute, unedited conversation between two friends talking about the stuff they love, and be sure to head over to ComicBookSavant.com to check out all the latest videos, podcasts, and coverage from James!

Black Friday Video Game MEGA Haul!

In this video, we share our Black Friday video game MEGA haul! So many games, so many deals! Grab a controller and join us as we celebrate some of the best video game deals of the entire year!

The Creature Columns: "AM1200: An Obscure Masterpiece" by Tom "Creature" Jeffers

The loneliness of a dark highway can be a daunting monster for anyone who has ever traveled alone at night. There is just something about the isolation and the field of view that only headlights provide. It feels like one might slip out of the universe by simply leaving the road. This is the world that writer/filmmaker David Prior places his audience in. The film is only a short 39 minutes from start to finish, but the sense of dread that the movie creates is right out of the pages of Lovecraft. That is what first drew me to this film a few years back. It has the feeling of creeping dread that I crave in cinema. I discovered it purely by accident and was immediately attracted to it. AM1200 (2008) is a film few people have seen, and that is a tragedy. This movie is tension-inducing nightmare fuel. Prior should have been immediately tapped to adapt the ever-elusive and almost “unfilmable” works of Lovecraft. This movie is dread-inducing perfection, and I love every terrifying second of it.