HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Saturday, July 31, 2010

"JIMI HENDRIX: THE GUITAR HERO" on DVD and Digital Download September 14th from Image Entertainment


THERE HAD BEEN NO ONE LIKE HIM. THERE HAS BEEN NO ONE TO EQUAL HIM.

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS "JIMI HENDRIX: THE GUITAR HERO"

Electrifying DVD and Digital Download September 14


Chatsworth, CA – Coming out of nowhere to stun – then inspire – the music world, he would be known as the master of the electric guitar.  He came into his own during the late 1960’s, when it seemed that there was a new music idol born every day.  But there was only one Jimi Hendrix and years after his untimely death, his genius is still among us. This September marks the 40th anniversary of the passing of rock’s greatest guitarist. On September 14th Image Entertainment releases Classic Artists’: Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero, narrated by Slash (Guns N Roses, Velvet Revolver) – a musician whose own rock skills have not gone unrecognized.

Less a biography than the first film to focus on the music itself and the impetus of the master who created it, Classic Artists’: Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero features new and exclusive interviews with some of the greatest names in classic and contemporary rock music, as well as iconic images and rare archival footage.  Available at an SRP of $19.98 for the DVD , the film will also be available via digital download.  Pre-book is August 17th.

Classic Artists’: Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero looks at the career of Jimi Hendrix - from playing backup guitar for Little Richard to making headlines with his history-making performances at the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock .  Through the words of Jimi’s family and a collection of contemporaries and admirers, including Dave Mason (Traffic), Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker (Cream), Eric Burdon (The Animals), Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), Paul Rodgers (Bad Company) and Bev Bevan (ELO) – the myth falls away and Jimi Hendrix is brought to life once more.  Moving beyond the icon, Classic Artists brings alive the image and music that Jimi Hendrix evoked from his very soul, using the instrument, as, he put it, as his “personal diary.” This style evoked a home-grown and raw, uncensored sensuality, which indeed was his nature and that of his music, as if he were his own muse.

Classic Artists’: Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero is a complete vision of an immortal talent.  Jimi Hendrix had seven songs placed on Rolling Stone’s recent “500 Greatest Songs Of All Time;” they also ranked him #1 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Jimi Hendrix is the Guitar Hero:  to those who saw him play and to those who will always be influenced by his unique style and passion.


Bonus features on Classic Artists’: Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero DVD include:

--Henry Diltz' 8mm Silent Footage: "The Monkees"
--"Jimi Hendrix Experience" at the Marquee - "Hey Joe"
--Collectible 20-page booklet
--Extended Interviews
--Photo Galleries

About Image Entertainment:
Image Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: DISK) is a leading independent licensee and distributor of entertainment programming in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and more than 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements.  For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights and has digital download rights to over 2,100 video programs and approximately 400 audio titles containing more than 5,600 individual tracks.  The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth , California .  For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com.

Classic Artists’: Jimi Hendrix: The Guitar Hero - DVD
Genre:             Music, Special Interest, Rock, Documentary
Rating: Not Rated
Languages:       English 
Format:            Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:              Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles:           N/A
SRP:                $19.98
Street Date:      September 14, 2010
Pre-Book:        August 17, 2010
Length:             109 minutes
UPC :                014381324822
Cat#:                ID3248ISDVD

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Friday, July 30, 2010

BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE -- DVD review by porfle


In his feature-length directorial debut, BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE (2000), Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho (MOTHER, THE HOST) serves up a recipe that takes awhile to simmer into savory cinematic goodness but is worth the wait for those who don't like to eat and run.  And yes, I suck at food puns.

The film opens with one of those "no animals were harmed" disclaimers, the reason for which soon becoming clear as we watch harried apartment dweller Yoon-ju (Lee Sung-jae) kidnap a neighbor's incessantly barking dog and go about trying to come up with a way to kill it.  Unable to drop it off the roof, he then takes it into the basement and hangs it with a length of rope in a scene that will have dog lovers squirming in their seats.  Finally, he simply shoves the pooch into a cabinet and bars the doors.  Problem solved--until he discovers that it's the wrong dog when the barking continues.  Finally locating the offending canine, Yoon-ju works up the nerve to carry it to the roof and fling it over the side.

This time, however, his dastardly deed is witnessed by Hyun-nam (the wonderful Bae Doo-na, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE), a janitor in the office building next door, and her portly BFF Jang-mi (Go Soo-hee, LADY VENGEANCE), who runs a convenience shop on the first floor.  Hyun-nam rushes across the street into Yoon-ju's building and relentlessly pursues him until he finally makes his escape.  Later, she befriends him when she finds him posting "missing dog" placards--ironically, his pregnant, mercilessly domineering wife's precious mutt has run away while in his care and he's been ordered to find it or else.  But little does Hyun-nam suspect that her new friend is the very villain she's searching for.


BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE has the same deliberate pace and matter-of-fact presentation as another Korean film, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, but its moments of drama and pathos are interlaced with a dark and very wry sense of humor that sometimes borders on the absurd.  In one scene, Yoon-ju finds himself hiding in that cabinet in the basement while he watches a creepy janitor happily butchering the first dog for a stew.  A friend stops by to join him, and the janitor regails him with the terrifying story of "Boiler Kim", whose ghost is said to haunt the basement, in a lengthy detour that the film is quite happy to devote several minutes to.  Naturally, a severely spooked Yoon-ju gets locked in the dark basement overnight.

Although we can never really forgive him for his early deeds, Yoon-ju is a somewhat sympathetic character who lives under a cloud of quiet desperation and seems to have a tenuous grasp on reality.  He yearns to be a college professor but must find the means to bribe a greedy dean whose price is steep, while his cold-fish wife intimidates and demeans him at every turn.  His friendship with Hyun-nam becomes a bright spot in his life, yet behind it is always the fear that she'll discover who he really is.


As for Hyun-nam, she's the introspective yet plucky heart of the story and her close relationship with Jang-mi is displayed both in their good-natured squabbling and in some surprisingly tender and moving moments.  Hyun-nam's determined pursuit of Yoon-ju through the apartment building is both exciting and funny--the ending is pure cartoon slapstick--and later, when she tracks down Yoon-ju's own missing dog and daringly attempts to rescue it from yet another hobo stew, the sequence is exhilarating. 

Director Boon Joon-Ho is adept at combining achingly deadpan comedy (the toilet paper scene is priceless) and world-weary melancholy punctuated by moments of startling dramatic impact.  Some patience is required of the viewer, not because the film is boring but because it moseys along at its own deliberate pace and refuses to be rushed.  I had no problem with this since the story is absorbing enough to maintain interest, while rewarding the viewer with some riveting narrative passages (such as the "Boiler Kim" story), perceptive glimpses into the characters, and unexpected flashes of visual delight and giddy humor.
 

The DVD from Magnolia Home Entertainment is in 1.85:1 widescreen, Dolby 5.1 and 2.0 Korean soundtrack with English and Spanish subtitles.  Extras include an interview with Bae Doo-na, storyboard and film comparisons, a highlight montage (which serves no apparent purpose), and the international trailer. 

BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE is a trip worth taking (if you can get past the graphic depictions of doggy abuse), although you may be a little dispirited by where some of the characters end up. And like Hyun-nam and her friend, who long to get away from the oppressive city and lose themselves in nature, the film just kind of wanders off into the woods.


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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

On Blu-Ray, Everyone Will Hear You Scream--ALIEN ANTHOLOGY on Blu-ray October 26



The Ultimate Collection Featuring All Four ALIEN Films Hatches On
Blu-ray from October 25 With Never-Before-Seen Bonus Material And The Debut Of The Exclusive and Groundbreaking Interactive Experience, MU-TH-UR Mode


Fans Have A Chance To Board The Nostromo During Comic-Con At Booth #3528 And Enter The Hibernation Chamber Of The Doomed Intergalactic Crew


LOS ANGELES, CA (July 15, 2010) – Sometimes, the scariest things come from within. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents one of the most successful and terrifying film franchises of all time when the ALIEN ANTHOLOGY debuts on Blu-ray for the first time ever from October 25 internationally and on October 26 in North America. All four ALIEN films have been reinvigorated for an intense Blu-ray high-definition viewing experience. The release also marks the debut of MU-TH-UR Mode, a fully interactive companion that takes the extensive materials in the ALIEN ANTHOLOGY and puts them in the user’s hand – connecting fans to special features on all six discs and instantly providing an index of all available ALIEN content, including over 60 hours of special features and over 12,000 images.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY is a truly unique home entertainment experience. For the first time ever, the studio has united the material from every home video release of the ALIEN saga including the 1991/1992 laserdisc releases, the 1999 “Legacy” release and 2003’s groundbreaking ALIEN QUADRILOGY release into one complete Blu-ray collection. The set also includes two versions of each film and over four hours of previously unreleased exclusive material such as original screentests of Sigourney Weaver prior to filming the original ALIEN, unseen deleted scenes, thousands of still photographs from the Fox archives, the previously unseen original cut of “Wreckage and Rage: The Making of ALIEN3,” and much, much more.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY will be available for a suggested retail price of $139.99 U.S. / $179.99 Canada. Prebook is September 22.

The ALIEN ANTHOLOGY is just one aspect of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s yearlong campaign to honor the studio’s 75th birthday. This year the division will debut several select fan-favorites on Blu-ray for the first time ever including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Last of the Mohicans and The Sound of Music.

DISC ONE: ALIEN
1979 Theatrical Version
2003 Director’s Cut with Ridley Scott Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director Ridley Scott, Writer Dan O’Bannon, Executive Producer Ronald Shusett, Editor Terry Rawlings, Actors Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt
Audio Commentary (for Theatrical Cut only) by Ridley Scott
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
Composer’s Original Isolated Score by Jerry Goldsmith
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC TWO: ALIENS
1986 Theatrical Version
1991 Special Edition with James Cameron Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director James Cameron, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Alien Effects Creator Stan Winston, Visual Effects Supervisors Robert Skotak and Dennis Skotak, Miniature Effects Supervisor Pat McClung, Actors Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein, Carrie Henn and Christopher Henn
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by James Horner
Composer’s Original Isolated Score by James Horner
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC THREE: ALIEN3
1992 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition (Restored Workprint Version)
Audio Commentary by Cinematographer Alex Thomson, B.S.C., Editor Terry Rawlings, Alien Effects Designers Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Producer Richard Edlund, A.S.C., Actors Paul McGann and Lance Henriksen
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by Elliot Goldenthal
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC FOUR: ALIEN RESURRECTION
1997 Theatrical Version
2003 Special Edition with Jean-Pierre Jeunet Introduction
Audio Commentary by Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Editor Hervé Schneid, A.C.E., Alien Effects Creators Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., Visual Effects Supervisor Pitof, Conceptual Artist Sylvain Despretz, Actors Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Leland Orser
Final Theatrical Isolated Score by John Frizzell
Deleted and Extended Scenes
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience with Weyland-Yutani Datastream

DISC FIVE: MAKING THE ANTHOLOGY
In addition to over 12 hours of candid, in-depth documentaries, you now have the ability to go even deeper into Alien Anthology history with nearly five hours of additional video Enhancement Pods created exclusively for this collection, presenting behind-the-scenes footage, raw dailies and interview outtakes from all four films. At topical points in the documentaries, you may access these pods to enhance your experience, or watch them on their own from the separate Enhancement Pod index.

The Beast Within: Making ALIEN
-Star Beast: Developing the Story
-The Visualists: Direction and Design
-Truckers in Space: Casting
-Fear of the Unknown: Shepperton Studios, 1978
-The Darkest Reaches: Nostromo and Alien Planet
-The Eighth Passenger: Creature Design
-Future Tense: Editing and Music
-Outward Bound: Visual Effects
-A Nightmare Fulfilled: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods

Superior Firepower: Making ALIENS
-57 Years Later: Continuing the Story
-Building Better Worlds: From Concept to Construction
-Preparing for Battle: Casting and Characterization
-This Time It’s War: Pinewood Studios, 1985
-The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action
-Bug Hunt: Creature Design
-Beauty and the Bitch: Power Loader vs. Queen Alien
-Two Orphans: Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Henn
-The Final Countdown: Music, Editing and Sound
-The Power of Real Tech: Visual Effects
-Aliens Unleashed: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods

Wreckage and Rage: Making ALIEN3
-Development Hell: Concluding the Story
-Tales of the Wooden Planet: Vincent Ward’s Vision
-Stasis Interrupted: David Fincher’s Vision
-Xeno-Erotic: H.R. Giger’s Redesign
-The Color of Blood: Pinewood Studios, 1991
-Adaptive Organism: Creature Design
-The Downward Spiral: Creative Differences
-Where the Sun Burns Cold: Fox Studios, L.A. 1992
-Optical Fury: Visual Effects
-Requiem for a Scream: Music, Editing and Sound
-Post-Mortem: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods

One Step Beyond: Making ALIEN RESURRECTION
-From the Ashes: Reviving the Story
-French Twist: Direction and Design
-Under the Skin: Casting and Characterization
-Death from Below: Fox Studios, Los Angeles, 1996
-In the Zone: The Basketball Scene
-Unnatural Mutation: Creature Design
-Genetic Composition: Music
-Virtual Aliens: Computer Generated Imagery
-A Matter of Scale: Miniature Photography
-Critical Juncture: Reaction to the Film
Enhancement Pods
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience to Access and Control Enhancement Pods

DISC SIX: THE ANTHOLOGY ARCHIVES
ALIEN
Pre-Production
-First Draft Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon
-Ridleygrams: Original Thumbnails and Notes
-Storyboard Archive
-The Art of Alien: Conceptual Art Portfolio
-Sigourney Weaver Screen Tests with Select Director Commentary
-Cast Portrait Gallery

Production
-The Chestbuster: Multi-Angle Sequence with Commentary
-Video Graphics Gallery
-Production Image Galleries
-Continuity Polaroids
-The Sets of Alien
-H.R. Giger’s Workshop Gallery

Post-Production and Aftermath
-Additional Deleted Scenes
-Image & Poster Galleries

Experience in Terror
Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
The Alien Legacy
American Cinematheque: Ridley Scott Q&A
Trailers & TV Spots

ALIENS
Pre-Production
-Original Treatment by James Cameron
-Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Videomatics with Commentary
-Storyboard Archive
-The Art of Aliens: Image Galleries
-Cast Portrait Gallery

Production
-Production Image Galleries
-Continuity Polaroids
-Weapons and Vehicles
-Stan Winston’s Workshop
-Colonial Marine Helmet Cameras
-Video Graphics Gallery
-Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers

Post-Production and Aftermath
-Deleted Scene: Burke Cocooned
-Deleted Scene Montage
-Image Galleries
-Special Collector’s Edition LaserDisc Archive
-Main Title Exploration
-Aliens: Ride at the Speed of Fright
-Trailers & TV Spots

ALIEN3
Pre-Production
-Storyboard Archive
-The Art of Arceon
-The Art of Fiorina

Production
-Furnace Construction: Time-Lapse Sequence
-EEV Bioscan: Multi-Angle Vignette with Commentary
-Production Image Galleries
-A.D.I.’s Workshop

Post-Production and Aftermath
-Visual Effects Gallery
-Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive

Alien3 Advance Featurette
The Making of Alien3 Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots

ALIEN RESURRECTION
Pre-Production
-First Draft Screenplay by Joss Whedon
-Test Footage: A.D.I. Creature Shop with Commentary
-Test Footage: Costumes, Hair and Makeup
-Pre-Visualizations: Multi-Angle Rehearsals
-Storyboard Archive
-The Marc Caro Portfolio: Character Designs
-The Art of Resurrection: Image Galleries

Production
-Production Image Galleries
-A.D.I.’s Workshop

Post-Production and Aftermath
-Visual Effects Gallery
-Special Shoot: Promotional Photo Archive

HBO First Look: The Making of Alien Resurrection
Alien Resurrection Promotional Featurette
Trailers & TV Spots

ANTHOLOGY
Two Versions of Alien Evolution
The Alien Saga
Patches and Logos Gallery
Aliens 3D Attraction Scripts and Gallery
Aliens in the Basement: The Bob Burns Collection
Parodies
Dark Horse Cover Gallery
Patches and Logos Gallery
MU-TH-UR Mode Interactive Experience

For international release dates and product information, contact your local Twentieth Century Fox office.

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ALIEN ANTHOLOGY
Street Date: October 26, 2010 
Prebook Date: September 22, 2010
Screen Format: ALIEN: Widescreen 2.35:1
ALIENS: Widescreen 1.85:1
ALIEN3: Widescreen 2.35:1
ALIEN RESURRECTION: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: ALIEN: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.1 Dolby Surround, English Dolby Surround, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
ALIENS: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 4.1 Dolby Surround, English Dolby Surround, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
ALIEN3: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
ALIEN RESURRECTION: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English, French 5.1 DTS, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 1020 Minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

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Cult Classics on Blu-ray and DVD Combo August 3



HEADLINED BY THE BLU-RAY DEBUT OF ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX AND MGM HOME ENTERTAINMENT UNBUCKLES AN ARRESTING COLLECTION OF UNFORGETTABLE "CULT CLASSICS"

Arriving On Blu-ray And DVD August 3, In Partnership With The Latest Edition Of The Rough Guide To Cult Movies -- Street Date:  August 3, 2010


Launch Highlights:
Some are so bad they’re good, some are the icons of their genres, and others are just a whole lot of fun; the studio’s Cult Classics includes exploitative, impactful and memorable films that have stood the test of time.

Among the most highly-anticipated releases in the collection is the Blu-ray debut of John Carpenter’s sci-fi adventure Escape From New York. Starring Kurt Russell as soldier-turned-criminal Snake Plissken, the film launched Russell’s career as an action star and continues to earn fans nearly 30 years after its release.

Also premiering on Blu-ray is the dark thriller Kalifornia, starring Brad Pitt as a vicious killer.

Timed with the August 1 release of the latest edition of The Rough Guide To Cult Movies, which offers cult movie enthusiasts a blend of essential trivia and informed opinion. Films featured in the book are noted with an asterisk below. For more information, visit www.roughguides.com/cultmovies.

Blu-ray + DVD Combo Priced at $24.99

Escape From New York*  99 min
Fargo*  98 min
Kalifornia  118 min

Blu-ray Priced at $19.99

Robocop*  103 min
The Terminator*  108 min
The Usual Suspect*  106 min

Blu-ray Priced at $29.99

The Boondock Saints*  108 min
Donnie Darko*  245 min

Blu-ray + DVD Combo Priced at $19.99

Rollerball  194 min

Blu-ray Priced at $34.99

This Is Spinal Tap  99 min

DVD Priced at $26.98

The Commitments  118 min

DVD Priced at $19.98 

Bubba Ho-Tep  92 min
Return Of The Living Dead*  114 min
The Last House On The Left  84 min

DVD Priced at $14.98

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension*  103 min
The Beach  119 min
The Believers  116 min
Boys Don’t Cry*  116 min
A Bucket Of Blood *  66 min
Killer Klowns From Outer Space*  88 min
Mad Max*  88 min
Sid & Nancy*  112 min
This Is Spinal Tap Special Edition  83 min
Troll/Troll 2 Double-Pack  178 min
Where’s Poppa  82 min

DVD Priced at $9.98

Kissing Jessica Stein  97 min
Miller’s Crossing*  115 min
UHF  97 min

* Featured in the latest edition of The Rough Guide To Cult Movies

CULT CLASSICS BLU-RAY DISC DEBUT SYNOPSES:

Escape From New York (1981) – New Two-Disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack
Hailed as “stylish and scary” (Los Angeles Times) and “dark and dangerous” (Newsweek), this fast-paced and furiously entertaining thriller stars Kurt Russell as notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero Snake Plissken. The world is ravaged by crime and the entire island of Manhattan has been converted to a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. But when the U.S. President crash-lands inside, only Plissken can bring him back.

Kalifornia (1993) – New Two-Disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack
Excitement, adventure and unimaginable terror await on the road to California in this chilling psychological thriller starring Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes. When urban intellectuals Brian (Duchovny) and Carrie (Forbes) set out on a cross-country trip to research a book about serial killers, they share the ride with a couple they barely know, Early Grace (Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele (Lewis). Locked in a car hurtling westward, the four travelers struggle to find some common ground. But when they finally do connect, Early’s violent nature abruptly emerges, and the terrified Brian and Carrie realize that they don't need to go very far to learn about ruthless killers.

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Friday, July 23, 2010

505 Games Reveal Official "Grease: The Game" Website


505 Games Reveal Official Grease: The Game Website and Final Pink Lady Diaries Video

Fans Can Now Pre-Order Grease: The Game and Celebrate Summer Nights with the Pink Ladies and T-Birds

505 Games today unveiled the official Grease: The Game website in conjunction with the last video in the Pink Lady Diaries series. Players can check it out for all things Grease, including videos, screenshots and downloads such as wallpapers and emoticons.

In the final Pink Lady Diary, the T-Birds and Pink Ladies face off as they play Grease: The Game on the DS and Wii. As everyone shows off their moves, younger players are introduced to the fun of Grease, while life-long devotees relive the fun of Greased Lightnin' in the ultimate party game. Coming to Wii and DS on August 24, Grease: The Game features fun pick-up-and-play mini-games for up to eight players, and delivers an exhilarating and interactive experience that will ignite Grease fever to last through the summer nights. Fans of the franchise can engage in singing and dancing to their favorite tunes from the original movie for a gaming experience the whole family can enjoy!

To access the official Grease: The Game website, please go to:
http://www.greasethegame.com

About Grease: The Game (Wii, DS)
Grease: The Game for Nintendo Wii is loaded with mini-games that let players sing the movie's iconic songs, dance the hand jive hop, race down Thunder Road, fight for Sandy's affections and have fun at the fair with Frenchy, Kenickie, Rizzo and the rest of the Greasers. Compatible with a Wii Balance Board and up to two USB microphones, up to eight players can compete in two teams for musical domination at Rydell High in party mode. The DS and DSi versions of the game will test players' rhythm skills as they tap to the beat of 10 beloved "Grease" songs as they follow Sandy and Danny on their high school journey. Players can also use the camera function of the Nintendo DSi™ to get in the game by uploading their face to their favorite character.
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"Media" Con 2010 day 2

my first thought is how do kids carry around heavy backpacks full of books?  that is an unpleasant experience!

anyway, the second day was about the same as the first, though I ventured down to the 2000+ numbers and that's where the mass media crap was- movies, tv shows and video games that had little or nothing to do with any fantastic elements, even by the loosest definition.  I mean, really, Showtime is a sponsor so we get "Nurse Jackie" and "Californication" posters all around (and on the buses, with their "biff", "bam" and "pow" slogan that went out in the late 60s, get with the times people)?

yes, that is a glommer
but there were cool things all around in the less crowded section- that being the comic books.  saying "less crowded" might make it seem like there was no one there, but the place was still full.  perhaps "quieter" part might be a better term.

I looked at toys and movies- still lots of bootlegs out there, by the way- and some books.  working at my pal's place I got two Essentials for $10, which was quite nice.  and since he lives in SD, I can go down to his place and get more later on.  yay!  send me your orders!

overall I really don't miss going to the Con.  in years past the last day was usually quite melancholy for me, as I knew it would be another year until I was back with "my people".  well, some of them are still my people, but I bet 80% aren't these days.
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Thursday, July 22, 2010

"MIRRORS 2" on Blu-ray Disc and DVD October 19


THE DEAD LIVE ON, WAITING FOR VENGEANCE IN THE TERRIFYING SEQUEL TO THE
GRAPHIC HORROR THRILLER


"MIRRORS 2" On Blu-ray And DVD October 19 Including Into the Mirror,
The Original Award Winning Korean Film On Which Mirrors Was Based,
Available In The U.S. For The First Time Ever!



LOS ANGELES, CA (July 22, 2010) – Just in time for Halloween, the highly-anticipated, heart-pounding sequel Mirrors 2 debuts exclusively on Blu-ray and DVD October 19 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. When Max, a recovering addict, takes a job as a nighttime security guard, he begins to see visions of a young mysterious woman in the store’s mirror. The terrifying results push audiences to the edge-of-their-seats in this white-knuckle horror film directed by Spanish filmmaker Victor Garcia (Return to House on Haunted Hill, El Ciclo). Included with both the Mirrors 2 Blu-ray and DVD release is Into the Mirror, the original Korean film in which the contemporary horror classic is based, about a series of gruesome deaths in a department store all involving mirrors.

In Mirrors 2, the grisly slaughters continue after a young woman is brutally murdered in front of a mirror that is a portal to the world of the undead. Embarking on a murderous rampage, one by one she stalks the men and women responsible for her horrific death, exacting bloody revenge by dismembering and eviscerating the guilty. They can’t run, they can’t hide and they can’t look in the mirror because inside the mirrors the dead live on...waiting for vengeance.

Mirrors 2 boasts an impressive ensemble cast including Nick Stahl (Terminator 3, “CarnivĂ le”), William Katt (Alien vs. Hunter, “The Greatest American Hero”), Emmanuelle Vaugier (“CSI: NY”) and Christy Carlson Romano (voice of “Kim Possible”). Available as a single-disc DVD, Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and DVD 2-pack including the original Mirrors for the suggested retail price of $22.98 U.S., $29.99 U.S., $34.98 U.S. and $26.98 CAN, $32.99 CAN and $39.98 CAN respectively, each configuration features Into the Mirror.


Single-Disc DVD Contents: (Catalog # 2267151)
 
Side One 
Mirrors 2
Bonus Features
The Other Side: Making Mirrors2
Keeping it Real: The Visual and Special Effects of Mirrors 2
Deleted Scenes
Side Two
Into the Mirror (Original Korean Film)
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Contents: (Catalog # 2267158)

Disc One (Blu-ray)
Mirrors 2
Bonus Features
The Other Side: Making Mirrors 2
Keeping it Real: The Visual and Special Effects of Mirrors 2
Deleted Scenes
Blu-ray Exclusive: Picture in Picture; Watch Mirrors 2 with the Woman in the Mirror

Disc Two (DVD)
Side One
Mirrors 2
Bonus Features
The Other Side: Making Mirrors 2
Keeping it Real: The Visual and Special Effects of Mirrors 2
Deleted Scenes
Side Two
Into the Mirror (Original Korean Film)

DVD 2-Pack Contents: (Catalog # 2267393)

Disc One
Mirrors feature film
Bonus features include:
Extended Unrated cut of the film
Reflections: The Making of Mirrors featurette
Behind The Mirror featurette
Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary by director Alexandre Aja)
Inside The Mirror Alternate Ending

Disc Two
Side One
Mirrors 2
Bonus Features
The Other Side: Making Mirrors 2
Keeping it Real: The Visual and Special Effects of Mirrors 2
Deleted Scenes
Side Two
Into the Mirror (Original Korean Film)

MIRRORS 2
Street Date: October 19, 2010
Prebook Date: September 8, 2010
Screen Format: Widescreen (Aspect Ratio 16x9, 1.78:1)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Korean Dolby Sound – Into the Mirror
Subtitles: English, Spanish & French (BD/DVD)
U.S. Rating: Unrated
Total Run Time: 1:30 minutes (Feature Only, BD/DVD)
Closed Captioned: Yes
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DOLPH LUNDGREN IS THE KILLING MACHINE coming to DVD October 19th from Anchor Bay Entertainment


WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED?

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Dolph Lundgren Is The Killing Machine – directed by and starring Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables, Universal Soldier, Rocky IV) – is a tale about flying too close to danger and what happens when you get burned. Anchor Bay Entertainment brings the action to home entertainment audiences on October 19th.

A thrilling ride through dark identities, dangerous countries and daring hopes, Dolph Lundgren Is The Killing Machine also stars Stefanie von Pfetten (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief), Samantha Ferris (Grace, “Supernatural”), and Bo Svenson (Inglourious Basterds, Walking Tall).  Dolph Lundgren Is The Killing Machine will be available on DVD for an SRP of $26.98. Pre-book is September 22nd.

Dolph Lundgren Is The Killing Machine is the story of Edward Genn (Lundgren) – a Soviet-era sleeper agent and trained assassin living in America .  Working under the code name “Icarus,” Edward is stealthy and fearless: cloaked within the shadows, the ability to kill with extreme discretion his specialty.  But times have changed, the borders of Europe have been redrawn…and Edward is ready to break with his dark past.


With a new identity, Edward is prepared to distance himself from the world of assignations and assassinations; he is ready to re-introduce himself to his wife and daughter. Edward may be determined to forget, but there are others who still remember Icarus, The Killing Machine…and they will do anything to destroy him. Dolph Lundgren Is The Killing Machine is the story of a man defending his future against his sinister past.  Ready for a life of peace, Edward has one more battle to fight.


The Killing Machine DVD
Street Date:                 October 19th, 2010
Pre-book:                    September 22, 2010
Cat. #:                         DV22220
UPC:                           0 1313 22220-9 7
Run Time:                   88 minutes
Rating:                         R
SRP:                           $26.98
Format:                       Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio:                          Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                     English & Spanish
Bonus Features:         Behind The Scenes Featurette; Trailer

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

OPERATION: ENDGAME -- DVD review by porfle


A fast-moving cloak-and-dagger action flick that's smart and funny, OPERATION: ENDGAME is adrenaline-fueled fun from start to finish.

The whole thing takes place in the secret subterranean headquarters of a hush-hush black ops group known as The Factory, where two teams, Alpha and Omega, keep each other tenuously in check while performing dirty deeds for the government.  Each member is code-named for a tarot card, and it's The Fool's (Joe Anderson, THE CRAZIES) first day on the job.  The nervous new guy is given a tour of the facility by a drunken, foulmouthed burnout named Chariot (Rob Corddry, BLADES OF GLORY) and the hot but deadly High Priestess (Maggie Q, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD), finding it to be like a cross between "Get Smart" and "Office Space."

But The Fool soon discovers that his first day will be anything but typical when their mentally-unbalanced, suicidal leader, The Devil (Jeffrey Tambor), unexpectedly sets "Operation: Endgame" into motion.  This means that the complex is sealed off and will explode in about two hours, and that the two teams will now try to kill each other while searching for a hidden exit known only by their late boss and a spooky lone agent named The Hermit (Zach Galifianakis).  Things become even more complicated when The Fool encounters an opposing team member named Temperance (Odette Yustman) who happens to be an old girlfriend.


What follows is an exciting, often amusing series of surprisingly bloody death matches between various agents.  We never know who's going to be paired off against each other next since there are so many unknown agendas involved in "Operation: Endgame" and some of the more psychotic participants, such as sweet-looking Bible thumper Heirophant (Emilie de Ravin), have a survival instinct that is matched only by their bloodlust.  (When we first see Heirophant, she's sitting in her cubicle scribbling "I love killing" repeatedly on a notepad.) 

Some of the fight scenes are reminscent of the Bond vs. Grant train sequence in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE while others are just a bloody mess with the unarmed agents flailing away with whatever office supplies or other sundry items they can creatively use as weapons.  Meanwhile, Michael Hitchcock and Tim Bagley play Neal and Carl, two mild-mannered, befuddled office drones who man the surveillance center and watch what's happening as though it were a reality TV show. 

One-liners and droll character gags abound--Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development", "The Larry Sanders Show") is especially good as he wearily trades snide insults with his uppity underlings.  As the sardonic "Empress", Ellen Barkin continues in the "Rosa Klebb" mode she displayed in BROOKLYN'S FINEST but with more sex appeal and a wicked sadistic streak.  Clearly having fun without straining himself too much, Ving Rhames plays "Judgement", a bomb expert who never passes up a pun on his codename ("It's judgement time, baby").  The rest of the cast is fine, with Bob Odenkirk ("Mr. Show") his usual wonderful self as "Emperor" and Joe Anderson's semi-heroic rookie agent convincingly clueless about the whole thing.
 

Exposition flies by early on so you might want to keep your finger on the rewind button until you get all the details straight, although they don't really matter that much.  It all has something to do with the transition of power from Bush to Obama, with the evil Bushies scrambling to cover up their covert misdeeds before the honest and open Obama administration sheds its heavenly light upon them and cleans up Washington.  (As Michael Corleone once said:  "Now who's being naive?")  Anyway, the "Bush bad, Obama good" campaign-commercial vibe gets old pretty quick, but unless this appeals to you, just ignore it and you should be okay.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 with English and Spanish subtitles.  Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette plus alternate opening and ending scenes.

OPERATION: ENDGAME is an imaginative blend of laughs and thrills that takes itself just seriously enough to maintain genuine suspense. Watching this colorful array of deadly eccentrics going at each other tooth and nail as the countdown to obliteration ticks away makes for a pretty entertaining action-comedy flick. 


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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

CHILL -- movie review by porfle

I'd seen a couple of adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft's "Cool Air"--about a doctor who cheats death but must remain in an artificially-cooled environment to preserve his reanimated body--but I'd never read the original story. So in order to make an informed comparison, I gave it a quick read before watching CHILL (2007). Sure enough, there are elements of Lovecraft's elegant short story in there somewhere, but they're buried beneath quite a bit of sludge.

Sam (Thomas Calabro, "Melrose Place") is an aspiring but penniless young writer who gets a job in a butcher shop. The owner, a Dr. Muñoz (Shaun Kurtz), lives in the back where it's always nice and cold. He tells Sam that the reason for this is that he has an ultra-rare skin disease, but it doesn't take us long to figure out that the guy's dead--or, rather, undead--and, with the help of his similarly living-dead henchman Tor, has been attacking and kidnapping local hookers and other victims to supply him with fresh skin to patch himself up with. So when Sam discovers a few of them hanging around the meat locker, he may be next in line.

Kurtz tries to be mysterious and creepy as Dr. Muñoz, but with his vague resemblance to Jeff Daniels he mainly comes off as a somewhat comical doofus. As our hero, Sam, Calabro is barely there most of the time. Even HELLRAISER's Ashley Laurence, as Sam's love interest Maria, seems to spend most of the film in a daze. The only performance worth noting comes from veteran actor James Russo--as a sleazy cop who's stalking Maria, he manages to jazz up a few scenes here and there, but his character doesn't really go anywhere. The rest of the cast is less than impressive.


There are a couple of fairly good makeup effects and some pretty bad ones, but overall the occasional violence and gore are rather blah. Although writer-director Serge Rodnunsky manages to get through the quieter scenes without knocking anybody out with the camera, the direction and editing of the chase and attack sequences are just plain bad. People run and run through empty city streets while Muñoz and Tor seem able to simply pop up wherever they want to at will. Worst of all is the film's climax, which features some of the most wince-inducingly bad digital effects I've ever seen. As for the musical score, it isn't bad for the most part, but during the more frenetic scenes it's about as grating as having someone shove a bucket over your head and beat on it with a frying pan.

At the end, CHILL tries to pull the rug out from under us with a series of surprise twists that just get dumber and dumber. Suffice it to say, Dr. Muñoz and Tor aren't the only dead people walking around--it's a "he's dead, she's dead" free-for-all before the final fadeout. In fact, you might want to check yourself out, because after sitting through this flick you might be dead, too.

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Monday, July 19, 2010

The Most Anticipated Horror DVD of the Year, "Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated", Coming July 27th, Plays Opening Night San Diego Comic Con


"Night Of The Living Dead: Reanimated" on DVD July 27 - A Mixed Media Re-interpretation of the Greatest Zombie Film of All Time

Over 100 artists reanimate the timeless classic
Screening announced as part of San Diego Comic Con's opening night festivities


Wild Eye Releasing and MVD Visual are pleased to announce the release of Night Of The Living Dead: Reanimated for North American distribution on July 27th.

Rondo Award-nominated as Best Independent Horror Feature, Night Of The Living Dead: Reanimated is a collaborative artistic mash-up of George Romero's cult classic. Nearly 150 International artists and animators chose their favorite scenes and re-envisioned them through their own artwork, with no restrictions on style, media or process - resulting in an eclectic 'art show' interpretation of the seminal 1968 film, all placed over the original's audio.

With work ranging from oil paintings to comic illustrations and sock puppets to CGI and stop-motion - NOTLD:R not only pays the respect due to this most important work in horror history, but encourages viewers to experience the film in a brand new light that bursts with the humor and horror of a new generation of artists.


"This DVD is like a portable horror or zombie convention," observes Wild Eye's Rob Hauschild. "We wanted to recreate the experience that fans have had around the country, where they've enjoyed NOTLD:R at film fests, on horror host TV shows, at zombie-themed events, and pop culture gatherings like the upcoming screening during Comic-Con's opening night."

The screening will take place on Thursday July 22nd at 9:30pm in Room 5AB at Comic-Con. Directly following the screening, contributing artists will hold a panel discussion covering their varied media and involvement in NOTLD:R. They will also be taking questions, giving away NOTLD:R schwag and signing autographs. Confirmed panelists include: John Chesnut and Josh Barnett (claymation and cut-out animation), Jacquelyn Bond (watercolor paintings), Grant Fuhst (mixed-media artwork), Sean Williams (hand drawn animation), Zina Lahr (toy modification/ experimental animation), Brad Uyeda (stop-motion animation), Anthony Amos (digital animation), and Eric Schock (comic book illustration).

The extras-saturated Special Edition disc confirms the comparison to the fun of attending a major con, with the two commentaries serving as "panel talks." The first track spotlights NOTLD:R organizer/curator Mike Schneider as he shares behind-the-scenes secrets to this unique project . A second commentary features NY Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, the multiple Stoker-winning transmedia zombie scribe whose body of work includes Marvel Zombies, Patient Zero and The Dragon Factory. 


There's also the hour-plus "Zombie Encounter," an actual panel that sees Maberry joined by other experts on the undead phenomenon such as David Barr Kirtley, John Joseph Adams (The Living Dead) and Stoker-winner Dr. Kim Paffenroth (Gospel of the Living Dead).

Paffenroth's presence as a respected academic underscores the DVD's broad appeal. The cultural and technological trends that enabled the 'mass collaboration' of NOTLD:R is fascinating to many, so it was important that the DVD provide insights into process, not just product. To this end, it includes several different making-of videos. For example, Flash animator Mike Boas guides viewers through the process of rotoscoping Johnny and Barbara by showing you his active desktop firsthand.

Extensive information on all of the individual NOTLD:R contributors is available on the DVD, as well as extended versions of some of their favorite scenes, several short films, as well as DVD-ROM content, and even some of their comics. Viewers also get a scrollable gallery of production stills, focussing on the artists and their dark and sometimes humorous but always compelling visions.

Over Two Hours of Bonus Features:

o Special horror host introduction from Count Gore De Vol
o Commentary with curator horror author Jonathan Maberry
o 'Making of NOTLD:R' commentary track
o NOTLD:R artist call-in commentaries
o Coloring Book contest entries
o Alternate/ Deleted scenes
o Short films
o Horror comics and related horror art
o Trailers
o Behind the Scenes: Animation Processes
o The Zombie Encounter Panel discussion video
o "Night of the Living Box Art" video
o and more…

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Hi Res Cover Art
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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Julie Benz stars in "HELD HOSTAGE" Coming to DVD September 14th From Image Entertainment


"You’ve got one chance of keeping her alive!”

A VICTIM OF A CRIME, FORCED TO BREAK THE LAW

Based on the Shocking True Story -- Set Free on DVD on September 14


Chatsworth, CA – Taken captive, threatened with death, forced to take part in a robbery:  surely this would be the ultimate nightmare.  But what if this was just the beginning?   What if no one believed your story?  On September 14,  Image Entertainment releases Held Hostage, the tense and thrilling film based on victims’ advocate Michelle Renee’s memoir, “Held Hostage: The True Story of a Mother and Daughter's Kidnapping.” A visceral portrait of what it takes to survive against insurmountable odds, Held Hostage will be available on DVD for an SRP of $27.98.

Michelle Estey (Julie Benz, Saturn® and Satellite® award winner, nominee Screen Actors Guild® award, “Dexter”) is a single mother and a bank manager, living with her young daughter Breea (Natasha Calis, “Impact,” “Alice”).  One fateful night, masked gunmen break into their home, binding both of them with duct-tape… and wiring them with explosives.   They give Michelle an unnerving ultimatum:  cooperate in a bank heist, or she and Breea will die by the explosive controls in their captors’ hands. 

After the robbery, Michelle and her daughter are left unharmed, but they are not yet out of danger. Neither the police nor her colleagues accept Michelle’s frightening story.  The facts remain in the dark while details of her abusive past come to light – as Michelle is informed, “it’s called dirtying the victim.”  

A true story of suspense and terror, Held Hostage is also a portrayal of a woman’s honesty and courage.  Michelle is ready for the fight of her life – for both herself and for her daughter.

Held Hostage - DVD
Genre:             Drama, Feature Film
Rating:             Not Rated
Languages:       English 
Format:            Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:              Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:           English, Spanish
Year:                2009
SRP :                $27.98
Street Date:      September 14, 2010
Pre-Book:        August 17, 2010
Length:             86 minutes
UPC :                014381661828
Cat#:                JOP6618 DVD

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Friday, July 16, 2010

"NECROMENTIA" coming to DVD September 14th from Image Entertainment

“One of the most surreal, f’ed up moments in film I have ever seen.” -- Quiet Earth

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS NECROMENTIA

Summoning to DVD September 14


Chatsworth, CA- Three men with seemingly different lives, all turn to the junction of occult rituals to obtain what they desire most: love. However, unbeknownst to them all, there are hefty prices to be paid when you call upon the forces of hell. On September 14, Image Entertainment presents Necromentia, a nightmarish tale of twisted desires and shocking imagery that collide into a chilling cinematic experience. Directed by Pearry Teo (Gene Generation, Witchville) and writer Stephanie Joyce (April’s Last, Alma) Necromentia is available at an SRP of $27.97. Pre-book is August 17.

Hellraiser and Saw collide in this diabolical thriller about three men whose lives become intertwined as they turn to dark magic and unthinkable tactics for the ones they love. Necromentia tells the story of Morbius, Travis and Hagan, desperate men who will do anything it takes for the ones they love, even if that means taking evil measures in an accursed Ouija boards to do so. One harbors lingering passion for his dead girlfriend, another is a professional sadist determined to save his younger brother, the final hungers for the most brutal kind of revenge possible. Yet to open the ports of hell, an ancient map of the occult must be carefully carved into one man’s flesh.

With a supporting cast featuring- Layton Matthews (Alien 51, Death Perception), Chad Grimes (No Way Out) and Santiago Craig (Gunheavy) each will learn that only hell awaits the foolish. Love won’t come easy for these men who do the unthinkable and experience the unimaginable to find what they all seek; Necromentia. This jaw-dropping thriller will leave you asking the question; How far would you go for love?

Bonus features include on Necromentia DVD include:
Feature commentary with Director Pearry Teo
Q & A with Pearry Teo and actor Chad Grimes
Trailer

Necromentia DVD
Genre:              Horror/Drama
Rating:              Unrated
Languages:       English
Format:            Anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:              Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:           English
Year:                2010
SRP :                $27.97
Street Date:      September 14, 2010
Pre-Book:        August 17, 2010
Length:             85 minutes
UPC :                014381655025
Cat#:                ID6550HKDVD

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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Dragon Dynasty Titles New to Blu-ray This August 10

DRAGON DYNASTY TITLES AVAILABLE ON VISUALLY STUNNING BLU-RAY DISC AUGUST 10 FROM VIVENDI ENTERTAINMENT AND THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

Jet Li’s Tai Chi Master And The Legend, Along With Invisible Target And  An Empress And The Warriors Make Their High Definition Debut


TAI CHI MASTER

Synopsis: Superstar Jet Li shows off his legendary speed, power, and agility at the peak of his martial arts prowess in this sweeping action epic. In an age of swordsmen and rebellion, two best friends and fellow martial arts students are expelled from the storied temple of Shaolin, only to meet again on the battlefield – one a power-hungry general, the other a freedom-fighting rebel, both mortal enemies.

Starring: Jet Li (Once Upon A Time In China), Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

Blu-ray
Price:   $19.97                                                                  
Languages: English, Cantonese
Street Date: August 10, 2010                      
MPAA Rating:  NR                                               
Run Time: 96 minutes


THE LEGEND

Synopsis: Jet Li stars as a carefree young martial arts expert who gets involved with a government official’s daughter just as he discovers his family is part of a rebel resistance movement.

Starring: Jet Li (Once Upon A Time In China)

Blu-ray
Price: $19.97                                                         
Languages: English, Cantonese
Street Date: August 10, 2010                       
MPAA Rating: R                               
Run Time:96 minutes

INVISIBLE TARGET

Synopsis: A slick action ride loaded with the next generation of martial arts superstars, “Invisible Target is loud, fast, action-packed, adrenaline pumping, [and] explosive” (Twitchfilm.net). A renegade cop, a young officer, and a veteran detective are thrown together to try to take down Hong Kong’s most lethal mercenary gang and their ruthless leader.

Starring: Nicholas Tse, (The Promise), Jaycee Chan (son of Jackie Chan), Shawn Yue (Infernal Affairs), Wu Jing
(Kill Zone)

Blu-ray
Price: $19.97                                               
Languages: English, Mandarin
Street Date: August 10, 2010                       
MPAA Rating: R                                              
Run Time:130 minutes

AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS

Synopsis: In the tradition of Seven Swords comes the action saga of a kingdom locked in a desperate battle for survival. Martial arts superstar Donnie Yen (Seven Swords) and Hong Kong Film Award winners Kelly Chen (Infernal Affairs) and Leon Lai (Seven Swords) team up as sword-wielding heroes on a quest to unite a divided nation and wage a massive war against an invading horde.

Starring: Donnie Yen (Seven Swords), Kelly Chen (Infernal Affairs), Leon Lai (Seven Swords)

Blu-ray
Price: $19.97                                              
Languages: English, Mandarin
Street Date: August 10, 2010                    
MPAA Rating: R                      
Run Time: 95 minutes

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Saturday, July 10, 2010

FANGORIA FRIGHTFEST Review Wrap-up -- Eight Reasons to Sleep With the Lights On!


Now that we've watched all eight entries in the fearsome Fangoria FrightFest and put in our two cents' worth about each one, here's your chance to check out all eight reviews:

THE HAUNTING
DARK HOUSE
ROAD KILL
PIG HUNT
HUNGER
GRIMM LOVE
FRAGILE
THE TOMB 



For full FrightFest info, click here.  And don't forget to visit www.FangoriaFrightFest.com to view all the trailers and vote on your favorite one.  (Voting ends July 19.)  The winner will be given a limited theatrical release in late July.  And you may have a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas!  Now that's scary.
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Adam Green's "FROZEN" coming to DVD and Blu-ray September 28th from Anchor Bay Entertainment


“Delivers Maximum Fright” ~ New York Times

“Frozen will do for skiing what Jaws did for swimming” ~ Bloody-Disgusting

“Prepare to be electrified…a brilliantly-conceived, gut-wrenching horror film.” ~ New York Observer

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – For millions of people all over the world, winter time means skiing, snowboarding and frolicking in the snow. But what happens when the sun sets, and the blinding white suddenly becomes an enveloping – and potentially lethal – darkness? Written and directed by Adam Green (Hatchet, Spiral and the upcoming Hatchet 2), Frozen terrified audiences during its theatrical release last February, receiving some of the best reviews of any theatrical film released so far this year. We may be in the heat of summer, but get ready to thrill and “chill” all over again with Anchor Bay Entertainment’s September 28th release of the intense suspense thriller on DVD and Blu-ray™ (pre-book September 1st). SRP is a cool $29.97 for the DVD, and $34.99 for the Blu-ray™.

Starring Kevin Zegers (Dawn of the Dead remake, Wrong Turn), X-Men’s Shawn Ashmore and Emma Bell (Gracie), Frozen charts the nightmare of three snowboarders when they get stranded on a ski chairlift taking them to the last run of the day. When the ski patrol switches off the night lights, the threesome realize with growing panic and dread that they’ve been left behind, dangling high off the ground with no way down.


With the resort closed until the following weekend, and frostbite and hypothermia already setting in, the trio is forced to take desperate measures to escape off the mountain before they freeze to death. Once they make their move, they discover with horror that they have much more to fear than just the frigid cold. As they combat the unrelenting forces of nature and other unexpected obstacles, they start to question if their will to survive is strong enough to overcome the worst ways to die.

Already a favorite among genre fans for Hatchet, his 2007 blood-soaked homage to 1980’s slasher films, writer/director Green wowed mainstream audiences and critics with Frozen. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times called Frozen “an entertaining, suspense-filled, sometimes wonderfully grotesque little scarefest,” while Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood declared the film “A gripping, intense and inventive horror thriller.” Harry Knowles from Ain’t It Cool News called Frozen “scary and intense,” and DreadCentral labeled the film “A triumph! Relentless and harrowing!”

The standard definition DVD release of Frozen includes a feature-length audio commentary with the stars and filmmakers, four insightful behind-the-scenes featurettes, the theatrical trailer and deleted scenes. The Blu-ray™ adds all the DVD bonus features, plus an additional format-exclusive audio commentary with writer/director Adam Green, cinematographer Will Barratt and editor Ed Marx.


FROZEN BLU-RAY™
Street Date:                  September 28th, 2010
Pre-book:                     September 1st, 2010
Cat. #:                          BD21436
UPC:                            0 1313 21436-9 9
Run Time:                     93 Minutes
Rating:                          R
SRP:                            $34.99
Format:                        2.40:1 / 16x9
Audio:                          Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital Mono (Spanish)
Subtitles:                       English SDH, Spanish

Bonus Features:           
Audio commentary with Writer/Director Adam Green and actors Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers and Emma Bell;
Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Adam Green, cinematographer Will Barratt and Editor Ed Marx;
Catching Frostbite: The Origins of Frozen;
Featurettes: Three Below Zero, Shooting Through It; Beating the Mountain: Surviving Frozen;
Deleted Scenes;
Theatrical trailer

FROZEN DVD
Street Date:                  September 28th, 2010
Pre-book:                     September 1st, 2010
Cat. #:                          AF21433
UPC:                            0 1313 21433-9 2
Run Time:                     93 Minutes
Rating:                          R
SRP:                            $29.97
Format:                        2.40:1 / 16x9
Audio:                          Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Mono (Spanish)
Subtitles:                       English SDH, Spanish

Bonus Features:           
Audio commentary with Writer/Director Adam Green and actors Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers and Emma Bell;
Catching Frostbite: The Origins of Frozen;
Featurettes: Three Below Zero, Shooting Through It; Beating the Mountain: Surviving Frozen;
Deleted Scenes;
Theatrical trailer

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MIDDLE OF NOWHERE -- DVD review by porfle

When you're wading hip-deep in chick flick quicksand, you have to grab onto whatever you can to stay afloat. The lightweight rom-dramedy MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (2008) offers just enough good stuff to keep you bobbing around so that the emo undertow doesn't totally suck you under.

Dorian (Anton Yelchin, STAR TREK's new "Chekov") is a rebellious rich kid whose snooty parents have shipped him off to live with his ramrod-strict uncle for the summer in order to straighten him out.  He gets a lifeguard job at a water park, but his real income is from dealing primo weed.  Fellow water park employee Grace (Eva Amurri, THE EDUCATION OF CHARLIE BANKS) wants to be a doctor but can't get a student loan because her irresponsible spendthrift mother Rhonda (Susan Sarandon) has wrecked her credit history and spent most of their savings trying to shove Grace's unwilling younger sister Taylor (Willa Holland) into the modeling industry.  One meet-cute later, and Grace is in the lucrative weed business with an infatuated Dorian.

What seems like the set-up for a brainless teen comedy manages to develop some pretty serious complications as it goes along, while still striving to maintain a quirky charm.  I found much of it cloying--the "dancing in the laundrymat" scene was especially distressing--but I have a low tolerance for quirky charm and hesitate to short-sell it too much to those who get off on this kind of stuff.  In fact, I'm sure there are those who will find this film enchanting, which is fine, but it mostly just got on my nerves.
 

To be fair, some of the dramatic scenes are pretty well done.  I liked the part where Dorian seeks out his birth mother for the first time, although Yelchin can't quite manage to reach the emotional level he's going for.  The shock and outrage felt by Grace and Taylor when they finally discover the depth of their mother's connivances, and why their father really killed himself years earlier, plays out well without lapsing into melodrama.  Which, to the credit of director John Stockwell (who played the lead role in John Carpenter's CHRISTINE), can be said for most of the heavier moments in the film. 

The trouble is, these effective emotional scenes are almost always followed by a sappy emo-ballad montage (with some truly cringe-inducing lyrics) to let us know how to feel about them and allow the film to wallow in tearful self-pity.  One of the best shots in the movie comes after Grace has a heated exchange with Rhonda--she drives off in her car as the obligatory emo ballad swells from her CD player, and with a wave of disgust she grabs the CD and tosses it out the window.  If only she'd dumped the rest of the film's awful sad-song soundtrack after it.

Fortunately, MIDDLE OF NOWHERE isn't all somber and dramatic, and is often rendered with a rather light touch.  The water park scenes are fun, the weed-dealing subplot is neither as ominous nor as low-brow "funny" as we expect it to become, and even Grace's dead-end fling with self-absorbed rich guy Ben (Justin Chatwin) comes and goes without a lot of angst.  Even her relationship with Dorian remains refreshingly free of the usual romantic cliches. 


I really liked Yelchin in STAR TREK because it was the first time I was able to actually enjoy the "Chekov" character, who was a whiny, faux-Monkee wuss on the original series.  Here, while his character is pretty easy to take, his appeal wears a little thin when he's called upon to emote.  Dorian does grow somewhat during the story, especially when he displays some responsibility in protecting the naive young Taylor during a dicey situation he's gotten her into, and by the end he's willing to make a selfless gesture that denotes maturity. 

Amurri does a pretty good job as the more down-to-earth Grace, and we can identify with her desperation to escape her nowhere existence with the insufferable Rhonda.  Sarandon, Amurri's real-life mother, manages to make Rhonda such a flighty, deluded, thoughtless, and self-centered domestic diva that we yearn to shoot her every time she's onscreen.  Really, my trigger finger got a cramp from blasting an imaginary machine gun at her for an hour and a half.  Which, of course, is a tribute to Sarandon's acting abilities, since she plays the part to perfection.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 1.85:1 widescreen and Dolby 5.1 surround with English and Spanish subtitles.  Extras include a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, cast and crew interviews, and a trailer.

The ending isn't too neatly-wrapped and lets us ponder what will become of these characters, although I'm pretty sure they'll find their way out of the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE sooner or later.  This isn't my kind of flick but I've definitely seen worse examples of the genre, and my guess is that those who do enjoy this sort of thing will find it worth their time. 

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