Pinata: Survival Island [Morph Art Lenticular Box]

"Pi?ata: Survival Island (which is listed in many databases as ""Survival Island"" and, thus, not always easy to find) has come to DVD with a full-screen transfer (1.33:1) and a dozen chapter markers, along with a nice load of special features. The highlight is the audio commentary track by directors David Hillenbrand and Scott Hillenbrand, who are delightful to listen to as they casually explain the evolution of the idea -- out of Jewish ritual on Yom Kippur, into a Cinco de Mayo monster story, and the jumping-off point to the pre-Columbian design of the opening sequence. They also go into how the distinctly different appearance of each part of the movie was devised, from the single shots of the ancient Central American sequence to the much more complicated sequences on the island. The CGI replacement for animatronic effects (involving the killer pi?ata) just weren't working. The commentary is supported and enhanced by a documentary depicting the different incarnations of the evil spirit, which is doubly fascinating as the makers show the abandoned animatronic version of the creature and the way in which they substituted a CGI creation in the relevant shots. In addition to the trailer for Pi?ata: Survival Island, the trailers for two other movies: the comedy Bark!, starring Lisa Kudrow and Vincent D'Onofrio and the occult thriller Revelation, starring Terence Stamp, Ron Moody, and Derek Jacobi. There are also optional Spanish subtitles and a trivia game, all accessible through a dual-layer menu that opens automatically on startup."