LOONEY TUNES: RABBITS RUN -- DVD Review by Porfle

Devoted fans of the classic 40s-50s Merry Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons from Warner Brothers never know what they're going to get these days when they see their favorite characters revived in new, "updated" versions.  It's pretty hit-or-miss since some current writers and animators get what made the old characters tick, while others, bless 'em, just plain don't.

The people behind the original feature-length cartoon movie LOONEY TUNES: RABBITS RUN get it.  But to their credit, instead of simply recreating the old stuff, they've taken familiar characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Elmer Fudd, Marvin the Martian, and Yosemite Sam, among others, and cast them in a dizzying screwball comedy that's a cross between a Bob Hope romp and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD.

As a world-weary New York cabbie, Bugs gets to downplay his old smarty-pants persona and serve as straight man for Lola Bunny, a flighty, valley-girlish amateur perfume inventor who hopes to take the Paris fragrance industry by storm with her intoxicating new formula. 

But when the military finds out that Lola's new perfume is also an invisibility formula, they'll stop at nothing to get it.  The sight of Foghorn Leghorn as an overbearing Army general ordering around his minions, including agents Elmer Fudd and Cecil the Turtle, is odd indeed. 

The secret of the formula is also discovered by Lola's former department store boss, Giovanni (the opera singer in the 1948 classic "Long-Haired Hare").  He follows her and Bugs all the way to Paris along with an avaricious Yosemite Sam (smuggling himself aboard the plane squeezed into an old lady's dog carrier) and everyone else who can't wait to get their paws on that precious pink atomizer. 

It's not your typical Looney Tunes plot, but if you love the old cartoons--in addition to appreciating the cockeyed appeal of screwball comedies such as BRINGING UP BABY and the later WHAT'S UP, DOC? (to coin a phrase)--you should find yourself enjoying this breezy, lightning-paced, lighthearted adventure as much as your kids.  (Or if you're like me, somebody else's kids.)

Bugs and Lola are a great team, whether leading the bad guys in a frenetic car chase through the streets of New York, posing as stewardesses on a flight to Paris (Bugs manages to get into drag again, of course) during which they end up falling out of the plane, and finally being kidnapped by none other than Marvin the Martian and taken to his deep space headquarters where he plans something nefarious with Lola's formula. 

More hilarity ensues with the appearance of those eternally giddy, stereotypically-gay gophers, Mac and Tosh, in their fabulous yacht.  Their song-and-dance extravaganza, "Girl, You're Fabulous", is a hoot, as is Lola's big number "Smell in My Mind" ("I've got a smell in my mind and I'm gonna let it loose on the world"). 

The great Daffy Duck brings his own prodigious persona into the mix in fine style as a fellow cab driver unwillingly caught up in the action.  Also appearing in lesser, but no less welcome capacity are Speedy Gonzalez as Lola's landlord and Pepe Le Pew as an eau-de-cologne magnate.



The current animators at Warner Brothers do a great job with whatever kind of computer magic they use nowadays to simulate the full cel animation of yesteryear.  Not only that, but the time they save by not having to draw as many cels as they did in the old days is used to make the artwork lush and beautiful to look at.  (I kept being reminded of another visually pleasing Warner Brothers cartoon feature from 1962, GAY PURR-EE.)

The DVD from Warner Home Video is in matted widescreen with 5.1 surround.  Soundtracks and subtitles are in multiple languages.  "Best Friends", the pilot for 2011's "The Looney Tunes Show" featuring Bugs and Daffy on a quiz show called "Best Friendies", is probably the most enjoyable bonus feature.  The three "Road Runner" digi-cartoons I personally found unappealing--seeing a more realistically-rendered CGI version Wile E. Coyote getting mangled like roadkill is a little off-putting.  "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat" (starring guess who?) is done the same way but is a bit more palatable.

But for pure fun that's fun to look at, LOONEY TUNES: RABBITS RUN is well worth getting caught up in for awhile.  It's made by people who appreciate the original Looney Tunes cartoons, and easily avoids being just a pallid facsimile of them.

Buy it at the WBShop.com
Street date: Aug. 4, 2015

"Final Girl"--Abigail Breslin & Alexander Ludwig Thriller in Theaters and On Demand August 14 (CLIP)

Celebrity Photographer Tyler Shields Makes Directorial Debut with FINAL GIRL

Starring Academy Award Nominee Abigail Breslin and The Hunger Games Stars Wes Bentley and Alexander Ludwig

Arrives in Theaters and Video On Demand August 14th

"Sardonic, Smart, Stylized Thriller. "
- PAPER

Known for his dark and alluring imagery, photographer to the stars Tyler Shields serves as first time director for the sure to be cult thriller FINAL GIRL.  The film stars Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, New Year's Eve, Zombieland) as Veronica, a young, blonde beauty that becomes the prey of a group of teenage boys, who hunt and kill girls for sport.

FINAL GIRL will debut in select theaters, Digital HD, and Video On Demand on August 14th from Cinedigm and Nasser Entertainment.

Also starring BAFTA Film Award nominee Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games, American Beauty), Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games, Lone Survivor), Francesca Eastwood (Jersey Boys) and Cameron Bright (The Twilight Saga).

As director, Shields brings the story to life with an eerie vision that is unsettling yet intriguing.  "The idea behind FINAL GIRL was no CGI, no fake effects.  I wanted it to be as real as could be," he says.  "The fights are real, the cold was real and therefore, the performances are real.  It was certainly a challenge, but I think everyone in the movie will agree it was worth it."

Who's playing who in this NEW clip "Ready For The Game" from FINAL GIRL
https://youtu.be/sC-NrmSY0cg

Watch the Trailer:
https://youtu.be/AiWLKmlbF74

More About The Film

FINAL GIRL follows a group of charismatic yet sadistic boys who every night, trick a young, blonde girl into meeting them for a date with the intention to hunt and kill her. However, their horrifying ritual takes a turn when they select the beautiful Veronica (Breslin) as their next victim. When the hunt begins, the boys soon realize they messed with the wrong girl.

FINAL GIRL is co-written by Stephen Scarlata, Alejandro Seri and Johnny Silver with a screenplay from Adam Prince. In celebration of the film's release, one-of-a-kind images taken by Shields during the making of FINAL GIRL will also be available for a limited time from TylerShields.com.   

About Cinedigm

Cinedigm is a leading independent content distributor in the United States, with direct relationships with thousands of physical retail storefronts and digital platforms, including Wal-Mart, Target, iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon, as well as the national Video on Demand platform on cable television. The company's library of films and TV episodes encompasses award-winning documentaries from Docurama Films®, next-gen Indies from Flatiron Film Company®, acclaimed independent films and festival picks through partnerships with the Sundance Institute and Tribeca Films and a wide range of content from brand name suppliers, including National Geographic, Discovery, Scholastic, NFL, Shout Factory, Hallmark, Jim Henson and more. 

Additionally, given Cinedigm's infrastructure, technology, content and distribution expertise, the Company has rapidly become a leader in the quickly evolving over-the-top digital network business. Cinedigm's first channel, DOCURAMA, launched in May 2014, and is currently available on iOS, Roku, Xbox and Samsung, with additional platforms currently being rolled out. Cinedigm launched CONtv, a Comic Con branded channel in partnership with WIZARD WORLD, on March 3, 2015. The Company's third OTT channel, DOVE ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL, will be a digital streaming subscription service targeted to families and kids seeking high quality and family friendly content approved by Dove Foundation.   Adding to Cinedigm's diversified portfolio of digital networks, in early 2015 the Company announced an OTT partnership with TV4 Entertainment and the planned launch of the BRIGHT edu-tainment OTT channel.

Cinedigm™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Corp. www.cinedigm.com. [CIDM-G]

About Nasser Entertainment

Nasser Entertainment's Joseph and Jack Nasser have been producing films for over 20 years. The Nasser brothers have worked with top actors, writers, and directors including Sidney Poitier, Faye Dunaway, Seth Rogen, Steve Austin, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, Tom Berenger, and Donald Sutherland.

They have produced over 50 movies in various genres - including Recoil, a high-octane action film starring Steve Austin (The Expendables), airing now on HBO, the dramedy What Goes Up starring Steve Coogan (The Other Guys), Hilary Duff (Material Girls) and Olivia Thirlby (Juno). Nasser Entertainment also Executive Produced For a Good Time Call starring Justin Long (Going the Distance), and Ari Graynor (The Sitter) and featuring comedy icon Seth Rogen, along with The Whole Ten Yards, starring mega-action star Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, and Amanda Peet (Identity Thief).

ZOMBIE DAY APOCALYPSE COMING THIS LABOR DAY!

ZOMBIE DAY APOCALYPSE COMING THIS LABOR DAY!

2015 Portland Film Festival Unveils Special Event -

Guinness Record Setting Zombie Day
With director George C. Romero

LOS ANGELES - July 30, 2015 - Portland Film Festival announced today a record setting special filmed event, Zombie Day Apocalypse, to be held on Labor Day during the 2015 Portland Film Festival, which will take place September 1st - 7th.  Zombie Day Apocalypse, to occur on Monday September 7th, will attempt to set a new Guinness Book of World Records for 'most extras in a short film. Director George C. Romero, son of iconic horror director George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead), will direct.

Award-winning makeup artists Conor McCullough (The Hunger Games) and Jason Collins (The Maze Runner, Firefly) will oversee makeup effects. Randall Jahnson (The Doors, The Mask of Zorro) wrote the screenplay, and Portland Film Festival Founder and Executive Producer Josh Leake is producing the filmed event.  Additional collaborators include the Pander Brothers (Dark Horse Comics), who are creating graphics and imagery.

An anticipated cast of thousands are expected for the all-day holiday event, which will also include a late night surprise zombie film graveyard screening.

Additional details and sign-up information can be found at: www.portlandfilmfestival.com.

Said Portland Film Festival founder and Executive Director Josh Leake, "Zombie Day Apocalypse perfectly captures the renegade spirit and vision of the Portland Film Festival, and we're honored to be working with George Romero Jr., and a truly talented group of filmmakers to redefine cinematic history and set a new Guinness world record.  I invite all zombie lovers, cinema fans and filmmakers from around the world to join us in creating an unforgettable zombie film experience this Labor Day, and celebrate this unique Portland Film Festival event.

The fourth annual Portland Film Festival will take place September 1 - 7th, 2015, in Portland, Oregon, at seven venues throughout the city, including historic theatres and community venues.

The 2015 Portland Film Festival will announce the full festival lineup the first week of August, including all competition films, special events and guests, master classes, and more.  Festival passes are available now, and tickets for all screenings and events will be available upon announcement of the full lineup:

Lineup and ticket info: www.portlandfilmfestival.com



About the Portland Film Festival

Established in 2012, The Portland Film Festival is Oregon's largest film festival, and was named "one of the coolest film festivals in the world," by MovieMaker Magazine in 2014. It is a non-profit, year round organization dedicated to nurturing filmmakers and audiences, and to celebrating the power of a good story. The festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities to the public.

Screenings take place across the city at seven venues, including some of the oldest historic theaters in Oregon, and includes outdoor screenings as well - offering its filmmakers some of the largest audiences available on the West Coast.

Previous and current festival partners include the City of Portland, Portland Parks & Recreation, Women in Film, Oregon Media Production Association (OMPA), Willamette Writers, SAG Aftra (Actor's Guild/Union), Oregon Governor's Office of Film (Oregon Film), I.A.T.S.E. (Film Union), Directed by Women, Digital Media Communications Department at Clackamas Community College and others.

Although the festival began in 2012, its history goes back to 2009, when the Portland Film Club was founded as a film club to bring film lovers together to view and discuss films. The club now boasts over 2300 members and is one of the largest movie clubs on the west coast. It screens typically one movie a week including new and independent features.

"Game of Thrones"--HBO Announces the Digital Release of Season 5

"Wholly captivating. Better than ever." - Vanity Fair
"On a scale like nothing else on TV" - Variety

Nominated for 24 Emmy Awards® Including Outstanding Drama Series
GAME OF THRONES®: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON

Iconic Series Available to Download on Digital HD August 31, 2015
Blu-rayTM and DVD Release Set for March 15, 2016

New York, N.Y., July 30, 2015 - The "worldwide phenomenon" (USA Today) is back and this time fans will be able to download it on their favorite devices earlier than ever. Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season will receive an early digital release on Monday, August 31, 2015 before its Blu-ray/DVD release on March 15, 2016. Fans can pre-order the season on Digital HD now through their favorite digital platforms. The release marks the first time a season of Game of Thrones is being released early on Digital HD.

Season 5 of the hit HBO® show is the most-honored series for the 2015 Emmy Awards, with 24 nominations including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage) and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Emilia Clarke & Lena Headey). A season pass purchase of Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth at select retailers is also packed with bonus content that takes fans behind the scenes of Season 5, including two never-before-seen pieces* available exclusively with the Digital HD release. Full details for the Blu-ray and DVD release will be announced at a later date.

Digital HD bonus features include:

    Introduction to Dorne* - Visit the kingdom of Dorne in this special that delves inside the impressive realm and its many colorful characters, including Prince Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig) and the fiery Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) and her venomous Sand Snakes (Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers and Jessica Henwick).
    Poisons of Westeros* - Explore the devious methods of poisoning seen throughout Game of Thrones in this featurette.
    Invitation to the Set - Visit the set of Game of Thrones for this intriguing preview.
    A Day in the Life - Glimpse the epic scale of Game of Thrones in this featurette that spends one day touring various Season 5 sets in Croatia, Spain and Ireland. See cast members preparing to shoot scenes while prominent members of the show's massive crew talk about the many jobs they must oversee-sets and costumes, hair and makeup, and much more-to keep the production operating smoothly.
    Set Design - Production designer Deborah Riley reveals the thought process behind the impressive sets used to create the territory of Dorne in Season 5.
    The Weapons of Dorne - Game of Thrones weapons master Tommy Dunne takes a close-up look at the razor-sharp armaments he created for the Sand Snakes and other inhabitants of Dorne in this featurette.
    New Characters & Locations - Take a tour of the new locations in Season 5 and meet some of the new players in this featurette. Included are visits to the sets of Dorne and the House of Black and White as well as introductions to Doran Martell, the Sand Snakes, the High Sparrow, and more.
    Season 4 Recap - Revisit every twist and turn from the thrilling fourth season.
    Trailer - Whet your appetite for Season 5 with this exhilarating glimpse at things to come.

Suggested Retail Pricing:

    HD Season pass: $38.99
    SD Season pass: $28.99

Season 5 begins with a power vacuum that protagonists across Westeros and Essos look to fill. At Castle Black, Jon Snow struggles to balance the demands of the Night's Watch with those of newly-arrived Stannis Baratheon, who styles himself the rightful king of Westeros. Meanwhile, Cersei scrabbles to hold on to power in King's Landing amidst the Tyrells and the rise of a religious group led by the enigmatic High Sparrow, while Jaime embarks on a secret mission. Across the Narrow Sea, Arya seeks an old friend while a fugitive Tyrion finds a new cause. And as danger mounts in Meereen, Daenerys Targaryen finds that her tenuous hold on the city requires some hard sacrifices. This season features some of the most explosive scenes yet, as the promise that "winter is coming" becomes more ominous than ever before.

About HBO Home Entertainment®
HBO Home Entertainment develops, distributes and markets an extensive array of critically-acclaimed and groundbreaking programs in three formats-Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD-throughout the world.  Releases include the global hit Game of Thrones®, the #1 selling TV on DVD/Blu-ray title in major territories throughout the world over the past four years, in addition to current hits and classic favorites including True Detective®, Girls®, The Sopranos®, Sex and the City® True Blood®, The Wire® and Entourage®. The company's catalog contains hundreds of titles including multiple Emmy® Award-winning mini-series The Pacific® and Band of Brothers®, which holds the record through 2014 as the all-time best selling TV on DVD/Blu-ray title in the US; provocative programs from HBO Documentary Films including The Jinx: The Life & Deaths of Robert Durst and The Case Against 8; innovative movies from HBO Films including Game Change and The Normal Heart; hit Cinemax® original series including BansheeSM and Strike Back®; and comedy specials featuring stand-up performers like Bill Maher and Billy Crystal.  Launched in 1984, HBO Home Entertainment has offices in New York, London and Toronto. The company's releases are sold in more than 70 territories around the world and are digitally distributed on a transactional basis across an expanding number of territories and platforms.

"Tootsie" Voted the Best Movie of All Time in "Time Out" New York Poll

TOOTSIE VOTED THE BEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME IN TIME OUT NEW YORK POLL

www.timeout.com/100bestmovies

[New York, NY] July 28, 2015: A Time Out New York poll to find the 100 best movies of all time declares Tootsie the best movie ever made.

The 1982 movie stars Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman as a desperate out-of-work actor who pretends to be a woman in order to win a role in a daytime soap opera.

At No. 2 in the poll came The Godfather, starring Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, and No. 3 came A Woman Under the Influence, starring Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk.

Time Out New York exclusively polled actors on both sides of the Atlantic to discover the 100 best movies of all time.

Commented Nick Kroll, actor and comedian and contributor to Time Out New York's poll: "Who doesn't want to see Dustin Hoffman in a dress talking with a Southern Accent?"

The established and up-and-coming actors who voted in Time Out New York's poll include Bill Hader (currently starring in Trainwreck), Andy Serkis (Gollum in The Hobbit), Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche (The English Patient), Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), Cillian Murphy (Inception) and Masters of Sex star and Golden Globe nominee Michael Sheen.

Other voters in Time Out New York's poll include: Zoe Kazan, Lili Taylor, Brie Larson and Anthony Mackie.
 
“We had a tall request, ranking the best movies of all time, and it was an honor receiving the input of so many esteemed actors—many of whom have classics on their own résumés,” said Joshua Rothkopf, film editor of Time Out New York. "I’m thrilled with the way this list has turned out. A modern-day classic like Tootsie points to virtues like humor, speed, sympathy, justice and heart, the priorities of actors and viewers alike. I’d love to see the canon evolve in this direction."


Key findings:

- The most recent movie on the list is Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) at #86.
 
- Movies from the last 30 years include Schindler’s List (1993), Amour (2012), The Thin Red Line (1998), Monster (2003), Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), American Beauty (1999) and There Will Be Blood (2007), among others.
 
- Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) continue to hold sway over the tastes of actors: Both films ranked in the top ten.
 
- Iconic actors with multiple appearances on the list include Marlon Brando, Diane Keaton, Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson and Gene Kelly.


Here are Time Out's 100 best movies of all time:

1. Tootsie         
2. The Godfather          
3. A Woman Under the Influence     
4. Cinema Paradiso     
5. To Kill a Mockingbird         
6. The Godfather Part 2         
7. Annie Hall
8. Boogie Nights
9. The Red Shoes
10. Taxi Driver   
11. Dog Day Afternoon 
12. Goodfellas    
13. Withnail and I                     
14. Kes    
15. The Wizard of Oz
16. On the Waterfront  
17. The Shining
18. Breaking the Waves
19. Pulp Fiction  
20. Gladiator                  
21. La Haine
22. Jaws  
23. Raging Bull               
24. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf                  
25. Some Like It hot                  
26. Fargo
27. Rosemary's Baby                 
28. The Night of the Hunter
29. Chinatown   
30. The Apartment
31. La Vie en Rose
32. There Will Be Blood
33. All About Eve
34. Life is Beautiful       
35. Apocalypse Now                  
36. The Philadelphia Story
37. The Sting
38. Waiting for Guffman
39. Citizen Kane
40. Singin' in the Rain   
41. Festen
42. The Lives of Others             
43. American Beauty     
44. Leon (The Professional)     
45. A Star is Born
46. Casablanca
47. A Matter of Life and Death
48. An American in Paris
49. Mean Streets
50. The Empire Strikes Back
51. The Turin Horse
52. The Princess Bride
53. This is England
54. The Royal Tenenbaums
55. Gone With the Wind
56. Midnight Cowboy    
57. Nil By Mouth
58. Requiem for a Dream         
59. All That Jazz 
60. Truly Madly Deeply
61. Harold and Maude  
62. Notorious                 
63. Being There 
64. A Clockwork Orange
65. It's a Wonderful Life
66. The Sacrifice
67. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest             
68. Monster        
69. A Streetcar Named Desire              
70. Blade Runner
71. The Thin Red Line
72. The General
73. The Third Man
74. Amour
75. Tender Mercies                   
76. Tokyo Story
77. Star Wars
78. A Room for Romeo Brass
79. Scenes From a Marriage     
80. Naked
81. The Goonies
82. Brazil
83. Hidden         
84. The Deer Hunter     
85. The Piano     
86. The Grand Budapest hotel             
87. Carmen Jones
88. The African Queen
89. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
90. Y Tu Mama Tambien          
91. The Hustler  
92. Sophie's Choice       
93. Whiplash                  
94. Love Actually
95. Close Encounters of the Third Kind         
96. Paris, Texas  
97. Persona
98. Crimes and Misedemeanours
99. The Great Beauty    
100.  Schindler's List
 

About Time Out
Time Out is the ultimate insider guide for inspiring you to keep up and join in with all that’s new and best in your city.

Time Out is a global multimedia platform that spans 107 cities across 38 countries with a monthly combined audience of over 36 million. Our massively growing online presence, mobile applications, magazines, events and partnerships all inspire people to make the most of their city.

The Group continues to rapidly expand globally. Time Out Bristol and Time Out Birmingham launched in 2015, joining Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Leeds. Time Out San Francisco, Time Out Austin and Time Out Atlanta were added to the U.S. portfolio in October 2014. Time Out Switzerland and Time Out Singapore launched in November 2014, and Time Out Seoul in both Korean and English language was launched in May 2015.

In 2011, Oakley Capital acquired a controlling interest in the business.

timeout.com | Keep up, join in, Time Out

"The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season" DVD Collection - Updated Details

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON ON DVD AUGUST 4, 2015
 
Features All 29 Digitally Remastered Episodes!
 
BURBANK, CA (June 9, 2015) – The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has captured the hearts of its viewers since its premiere in 1964. This critically-acclaimed spoof television series featuring Leo G. Carroll, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy was the first successful spy show on American television and one of the first series to become an international phenomenon. Prior to the theatrical release of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in August 2015, fans can now relive their favorite moments as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment gets set to release The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season on DVD August 4, 2015. This digitally enhanced series, also nominated for 7 Emmy Awards over its successful 4 season run, includes 29 one-hour long episodes of priceless entertainment.

In this hit spoof of the spy genre, actors Robert Vaughn and David McCallum play the roles of top agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin who use their charm, wit, and a never-ending assortment of gadgets to defend the world from evil, chaos and bad taste. The successful series also stars Leo G. Carroll as Alexander Waverly and features guest stars such as William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, of Star Trek, Kurt Russell, Ricardo Montalban and longtime comedy favorite Ken Murray. From trying to save the world from fear gas to trying to save themselves from a pack of bloodthirsty cheetahs, these serious spies bring the suspense and fun to life. You may even forget it's in black and white!
 
“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season is the first successful spy series of its kind and we are proud to bring it back to viewers to experience all the action” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “The episodes have been digitally remastered and will allow audiences young and old to relive this phenomenon before the theatrical release!”

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season Enhanced on DVD includes 29 1-Hour Episodes:

DISC ONE
The Vulcan Affair
1.       The Iowa-Scuba Affair
2.       The Quadripartite Affair

DISC TWO
3.       The Shark Affair
4.       The Deadly Games Affair
5.       The Green Opal Affair

DISC THREE
6.       The Giuoco Piano Affair
7.       The Double Affair
8.       The Project Strigas Affair

DISC FOUR
9.       The Finny Foot Affair
10.   The Neptune Affair
11.   The Dove Affair

DISC FIVE
12.   The King of Knaves Affair
13.   The Terbuf Affair
14.   The Deadly Decoy Affair

15.   DISC SIX
16.   The Fiddlesticks Affair
17.   The Yellow Scarf Affair
18.   The Mad, Mad Tea Party Affair

DISC SEVEN
19.   The Secret Sceptre Affair
20.   The Bow-Wow Affair
21.   The Four-Steps Affair

DISC EIGHT
22.   The See-Paris-And-Die Affair
23.   The Brain-Killer Affair
24.   The Hong Kong Shilling Affair

DISC NINE
25.   The Never-Never Affair
26.   The Love Affair
27.   The Gazebo in the Maze Affair

DISC TEN
28.   The Girls of Nazarene Affair
29.   The Odd Man Affair

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

WBShop.com

"SPECTRE" -- New James Bond 007 Trailer and Photos

SPECTRE
Action Adventure
November 6, 2015

MGM
Columbia Pictures

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal.  Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. 

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond's actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.

As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

Directed by:
Sam Mendes
 
Written by:
John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade
 
Produced by:
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli 
 
Cast: 

Daniel Craig 
Christoph Waltz
Léa Seydoux
Naomie Harris
Ben Whishaw
David Bautista
with Monica Bellucci
and Ralph Fiennes as "M"

This film is not yet rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.  For future rating information, please visit www.filmratings.com.  Credits not final.

Genre: Action Adventure

Release: November 6, 2015

SPECTRE © 2015 Danjaq, MGM, CPII. SPECTRE,  and related
James Bond Trademarks, TM Danjaq. All Rights Reserved.

VIEW "SPECTRE" TRAILER

"The Horror Network"--Wild Eye Scares Up New Art and a Trailer for Halloween DVD Release

The Horror Network Scares Up a New Trailer and Key Art
DVD Release to Treat Audiences this Halloween
 
"Here's hoping this Horror Network has more volumes ... a strong batch of short film work that deserves to be seen." --Ain't It Cool News

New York, NY - Wild Eye Releasing has debuted a new trailer and key art for their anthology release this Halloween, The Horror Network.  Created by Brian Dorton and Douglas Conner, this first volume of terror tales features segments directed by Dorton, Conner, Joseph Graham, Manuel Marín, Lee Matthews and Ignacio Martín Lerma, the series has been hailed as "a collection of nightmares that scream for all horror fans to see".

Serial killers, ghostly phone calls, inner demons, otherworld monsters and creepy stalkers collide in this frightening anthology. Five of horror's most promising new directing talents join forces to pay homage to classic horror like Creepshow, Tales From the Crypt, V/H/S and The ABCs of Death, and weave an unforgettable, disturbing tapestry of terror.

The Horror Network (Official Trailer)


The October 2015 DVD release of The Horror Network will exclusively include a number of bonus features.

"Looney Tunes Rabbits Run" On DVD August 4th

ALL-NEW LOONEY TUNES ANIMATED MOVIE

LOONEY TUNES RABBITS RUN
FEATURING BUGS BUNNY

IS SET FOR RELEASE
AUGUST 4, 2015
FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
 
Original Full-Length Film Includes All-Time Favorite Looney Tunes Characters
 
BURBANK, CA (May 5, 2015) – What happens when Bugs Bunny becomes embroiled in a scheme surrounding the invention of a highly-sought after invisibility spray? The result is a mad-cap adventure set in New York City and Paris titled Looney Tunes Rabbits Run. This brand-new, original animated film will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) Aug 4, 2015 and will retail for $19.98 SRP.

In Looney Tunes Rabbits Run, Bugs Bunny is a New York City cabbie who picks up the beautiful but bumbling perfume salesgirl, Lola Bunny, after she’s lost her job at a department store. Bugs, who drives Lola home from work in his taxi, has no idea he’s about to embark on the longest ride of his life!

In her spare time, Lola is an amateur perfume maker who’s convinced one day she’ll concoct the world’s most beautiful fragrance and sell it to the House of Moufette in Paris. Unbeknownst to Bugs, Lola, in one of her attempts to create the next big fragrance, has inadvertently invented an invisibility spray, and now the whole world is on their tails to steal her precious concoction!

On the run to Paris, Bugs and Lola must outsmart everyone from government officials, to Lola’s greedy department store boss, Giovanni and even Yosemite Sam, all of whom are after Lola’s “scent-sational” invisibility spray. Will Bugs help Lola thwart the bad guys and help her realize her dream of launching her own signature fragrance line? It’s a heart-stopping, looney adventure that animation fans won’t want to miss! Joining Bugs and Lola is a lineup of favorite Looney Tunes characters including Speedy Gonzalez, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Pepe Le Pew, Foghorn Leghorn and many others.

“Bugs Bunny is an enduring character with timeless appeal, who is loved by generations of fans. Looney Tunes is a powerful brand among consumers and it’s one of our most important franchises. We’re excited to offer this wonderful new film,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Vice President Family & Animation Marketing. She added, “Looney Tunes Rabbits Run is a clever, entertaining new story that’s perfect for family viewing.”

The Credits
 
About Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing both CG and traditionally animated projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. For TV, WBA produces series such as Teen Titans Go!, The Tom and Jerry Show and the upcoming Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and Wabbit – A Looney Tunes Production for Cartoon Network, as well as Mike Tyson Mysteries for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. As the home of the iconic animated characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original Movies — for DVD. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

Academy Award(s)® & Oscar(s)® are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

HBO Celebrates The Launch of "The Knick: The Complete First Season" with Free Interactive Digital Book

In the Peabody Award-winning hit Cinemax series "The Knick"...

Dr. John Thackery (Golden Globe nominee Clive Owen) is a brilliant surgeon working on the cutting edge of modern medicine. Unfortunately, it's the year 1900 and the cutting edge is still a bit rusty.

From director and executive producer Steven Soderbergh, The Knick: The Complete First Season will be available for download August 3 on Digital HD, a full week before its Blu-ray/DVD street date.  The series takes viewers behind the scenes of The Knickerbocker hospital in New York City, where Dr. Thackery and his team push boundaries to discover experimental medical breakthroughs.

In order to celebrate the launch, HBO Home Entertainment has created a free interactive digital book available exclusively at iTunes chronicling Soderbergh's post-production process and conversations with Cinemax as the first season took its final shape. The Knick: Anatomy of a Series includes full scripts of the first season and is annotated with post-production notes chronicling the back-and-forth process of putting the season together.

A full season download of The Knick: The Complete First Season at iTunes, Google Play and Vudu also includes an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the first season, including interviews with Clive Owen, André Holland and other cast members.

You can download the free digital book today here:  http://apple.co/1fYYU4g

And download The Knick: The Complete First Season here: http://apple.co/1OhhsI8

"OLD 37" Film To Be Released On Blu-Ray and DVD October 6th

OLD 37
Film Set To Be Released On
Blu-Ray and DVD October 6th

DVD Pre-Orders Available Now On Wal-Mart
Amazon and Best Buy
 
Starring Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley, Brandi Cyrus
Jake Robinson, Devon Spence, Maxwell Zagorski, Caitlin Harris and Kenneth Simmons

Wins Best Film & Best Kill At Montreal ComiCon Horrorfest
Wins Best Feature Film at HorrorHound
Music from The Used, Circa Survive, Sheppard + more

July 20, 2015 - Fresh off a double win at Montreal ComicCon's HorrorFest for Best Film and Best Kill, OLD 37, announces Pre-Orders are available now at Wal-Mart, Amazon and Best Buy. OLD 37 is gearing up for it's official DVD and Blu-Ray release on October 6th, 2015 (Epic Pictures + Anchor Bay Canada) with limited theatrical release dates being announced soon in select cities.

Fast paced and blood soaked, OLD 37 taps into the most basic human fear, vulnerability. The words "don't worry I'm a paramedic" will make you think twice before dialing 9-1-1. For more information on OLD 37, please visit: www.old37themovie.com.

The film stars Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th, Hatchet) and Bill Moseley (The Devil's Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses) as twisted brothers working together to exact revenge on some careless teen drivers. Already featured by Fangoria, MTV, The Insider, J14 Magazine, DreadCentral, BloodyDisgusting, IHorror, HorrorHound and more, the star cast includes Brandi Cyrus, (Hannah Montana, Zoey 101), Caitlin Harris (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Olivia Alexander (Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader, Killer Eye), Maxwell Zagorski, Maggie Keane Williams (Audition), Ben Schneider, Mindy White (States, Lydia), Sascha Knopf (Shallow Hal, Expiration Date), Ken Simmons (Kick Ass), and more.

OLD 37 features a performance from certified platinum Australian rock band, Sheppard. The band not only performs live in a party scene in the film, but additionally has 4 songs featured on the soundtrack, all of which are off their debut full length Bombs Away, which is certified gold. Sheppard are the third Australian group to impact American top 40 radio this century. Since signing to Universal Republic, Sheppard have been seen preforming on ELLEN, Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show and more. Other musicians featured on the OLD 37soundtrack include The Used, Circa Survive, Night Riots, States, Death On Two Wheels, Survival Guide, DariusTX, and Emii.

OLD 37 was written and produced by Paul Travers along with producing partners Carrie Alton, Evan Greenhill, and Dayna Ghiraldi. With music composed by Darius Holbert (Hobo With A Shotgun, World's Greatest Dad, Cedar Rapids), and blood, guts and scares provided by Brian Spears and Pete Gerner (We Are What We Are, Late Phases, VHS), this team is ready to bring the sirens.

For more information on OLD 37, please visit:
Website: www.OLD37TheMovie.com 
Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/OLD37themovie
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/OLD37MOVIE
Merch Store: http://old37.bigcartel.com/

UPCOMING FESTIVALS

Festival Name - Scares That Care
Festival Date - July 24-26
Festival City - Williamsburg, VA
Festival Website - http://scaresthatcareweekend.com

Festival Name - Crypticon Kansas City
Festival Date - August 21-23
Festival City - Kansas City, MO
Festival Website - http://www.crypticonkansascity.com

Festival Name - HorrorHound Weekend Indianapolis
Festival Date - September 11-13
Festival City - Indianapolis, IN
Festival Website - http://www.horrorhoundweekend.com


What The Press Is Saying About OLD 37...

"A blood-soaked, slasher fan's wet dream that promises to satiate every hardcore horror aficionado to the core."  
-Matt Boiselle, Dread Central

"OLD 37 will make you think twice about dialing 911."
James Shotwell, UnderTheGun

"OLD 37 comes through with in-your-face visceral horror." 
-Jason Hignite, HorrorHound

"OLD 37 is a frightening and effective piece of independent horror cinema."
-Timothy Rawles, iHorror

"OLD 37 is a gruesome, one-of-a-kind thrill ride."
James Shotwell, UnderTheGun

"It's a match made in Hell when Bill Moseley and Kane Hodder
team up to play barbaric brothers." -Michael Gingold, Fangoria

"Like Jaws on the Interstate" -Timothy Rawles, iHorror

"Sesame Street: Play All Day With Elmo" - On Digital and DVD Sept. 8th

ELMO WANTS TO HAVE A PLAY DATE…WITH YOU!

SESAME WORKSHOP AND WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE
SESAME STREET: PLAY ALL DAY WITH ELMO

ON DIGITIAL AND DVD SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

Includes Over Two Hours of Fun With Your Furry Red Friend Elmo!

BURBANK, CA (July 14, 2015) – Elmo is ready to share all his favorite games with your little one as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit, educational organization whose mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder, release Sesame Street: Play All Day With Elmo on DVD September 8, 2015 for $14.98 SRP. Sesame Street: Play All Day With Elmo includes the full length episode “Simon Says,” bonus content and exciting video segment “Elmo’s World: Games.” The title’s release also aligns with the launch of the new Play All Day Elmo toy from Hasbro.

Spend the afternoon dancing, jumping, and clapping while playing all of Elmo’s favorite games. Preschoolers will join Elmo to play Freeze Dance, Red Light Green Light, Elmo Says, and more. Elmo helps make learning fun with his interactive approach to teaching children his favorite games. Sesame Street: Play All Day With Elmo will have your toddler bouncing up and down with excitement while practicing important executive function skills such as self-control, following directions and paying attention.

“Warner Bros Home Entertainment is thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Sesame Street collection, Sesame Street: Play All Day With Elmo,” said Jeff Brown, WBHE Executive Vice President and GM of Non-Theatrical Franchise Marketing. “Elmo continues to be one of the most loveable preschool characters of all time and we are happy to share yet another exciting title starring America’s favorite furry red monster.”

Now in its 45th season, Sesame Street is the longest-running program in children’s television and the number one top-of-mind preschool show with moms. Sesame Street also has the highest "co-viewing" experience - meaning adults watching with kids - of any preschool show. The series has received more Emmy awards than any other show in television history, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award honoring the 40th year.
 
Basics
Street Date: September 8, 2015
Order Due Date: August 4, 2015
Languages: English
Audio: Dolby Stereo
Color
Run Time: Approximately 124 Minutes
Rating:  NR
 
SESAME STREET: PLAY ALL DAY WITH ELMO
Price: $14.98

About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street which reaches 156 million children across more than 150 countries. The Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. Delivered through a variety of platforms, including television programs, digital experiences, books and community engagement, its research-based programs are tailored to the needs of the communities and countries they serve. For more information, visit us at www.sesameworkshop.org.
 
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

Peter Herro's "WTF!" Wraps in LA, Gore to Come

Peter Herro's WTF! Has Wrapped Production

The Blood Will Flow in 2016

Los Angeles, CA-- Peter Herro and Cthulhu Crush Productions have finished shooting WTF! The horror film, lensed around Los Angeles last month, follows a survivor of a mass killing on a trip with six close friends, when her nightmare threatens to begin again.

Herro directed from a script he co-wrote with Christopher Centanni and Adam Buchalter.  Callie Ott (The Horror), Sarah Agor (Hatchet II, VH1's "Scream Queens"), Andrea Hunt, Ben Norris, Johnny James Fiore, Nick Reilly and Adam Foster starred as the unfortunate group of friends.

Three years ago, twenty-two year old girl-next-door Rachel (Ott) barely survived a brutal massacre that left her friends in pieces. Time has passed, and Rachel has moved on, but unfortunately history has a way of repeating itself.  Her close friends are spending spring break in a secluded house in the woods, and they have cordially invited her to join. Little does she realize that another bloodbath will be showing up as plus one. Once Rachel and her friends arrive at the cabin, the partying, sex, and terror begins.

Director Peter Herro on crafting WTF!:
"It took me a very long time to put together the cast and crew. I spent three months in auditions making sure the actors fit the parts, were up to the challenge, and had the same passion as I did. Equally as important was interviewing crew members to get the right people for the jobs. I am so happy and thrilled for the team I have working on this project. Everyone put in 100% and gave it their all.

It was a very intense 12 day run. Some days we managed to shoot a dozen pages! It definitely is a huge creative test to pull together so much detail in such a short amount of time. With locations all over LA and very long days days it became something that could only be done out of passion. I am thrilled to have put together an entire movie in a 12 day span. This would not be possible without the amazing cast and crew that put there blood and sweat into the project. (no pun intended).

The most challenging obstacle for this shoot were the emotional states the actors had to be in. It goes from a very fun Mean Girls charade into a very serious Scream survival flick. This was challenging for everyone. They would go from having fun and throwing out one-liners to a more serious physiological thriller state of mind. In the end all of the actors pulled off amazing performances and really brought the movie to life!"

WTF! is expected to be released in 2016.

Kyle Zingler produced.  Executive producers are Jody Wheeler and Steve Parker.

"BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS" -- Starring Fran Kranz and Pedro Pascal -- Opening September 4

**Opening Day Announcement**

BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS

Starring Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Emma Fitzpatrick, Yvette Yates
with Joel Murray and Joey Kern
 
Opens in Select U.S. Cinemas & VOD On September 4

Bloodsucking Bastards takes audiences on a hilarious, blood-spattered roller coaster ride in the most terrifying locale of all: the American workplace. The film stars Fran Kranz as Evan Sanders, a low-level, dutiful employee stuck in a boring job at a soul-killing every corporation. Evan’s the kind of guy who does all the work and gets none of the credit, but at least he gets to spend his days with his beautiful co-worker/girlfriend Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick) and his slacker best friend Tim (Joey Kern), so he soldiers on in the hope of one day getting his coveted sales director position.

Unfortunately, it all falls apart in one fell swoop when Amanda breaks up with him and Evan’s boss Ted (Joel Murray) hands his promotion to his college nemesis Max (Pedro Pascal). And it isn’t just their sordid past Evan has to deal with. After his fellow officemates start going through disturbing changes (which, paradoxically, make them better employees) and bodies begin to pile up, Evan learns the horrible truth: Max is a vampire. And even worse… a vamp with a plan.

Evan must find a way to stop the evil brewing amidst the cubicles, expose Max as the bloodsucking bastard that he is, and save his pals before his life and career go from dead-end…to just dead.

Directed by Brian James O’Connell and penned by the popular comedy troupe Dr. God and Ryan Mitts, Bloodsucking Bastards recently made its world premiere as the opening night film at the Slamdance Film Festival 2015.

Starring:

Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods)
Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones)
Emma Fitzpatrick (Significant Mother, The Collection)
Yvette Yates (Inherent Vice)
Joel Murray (Mad Men)
Joey Kern (Cabin Fever)

Bloodsucking Bastards opens in select cities and on VOD beginning Sept 4. For more information about the movie, please visit
 www.bloodsuckingbastards.com.

"BIG SKY" Starring Bella Thorne - Thriller Opens August 14

eOne Films presents:

BIG SKY

Opening In Theaters and VOD Friday, August 14
 
Directed by Jorge Michel Grau

Starring Bella Thorne, Kyra Sedgwick, Frank Grillo, and Aaron Tveit

A teenage girl who suffers a mortal fear of open spaces, is enrolled in a high-end treatment facility by her mother in the hope that they can find a cure. When the van they are travelling in is suddenly attacked by two masked gunmen, she must confront her biggest fear and fight for her survival.

BIG SKY is directed by Jorge Michel Grau and written by Evan M. Wiener. The producers are Randy Manis (Extraterrestrial, The Calling, Kill Your Darlings), Matthew Salloway (The Butler, The Ides of March), Christina Papagjika (The Butler, Annie) and executive prodcuers are Christine Vachon (Mildred Pierce) and Jeffrey Mandel (Murderball).

The film stars Bella Thorne (“Scream”, The Duff), Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”), Frank Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Solider) and Aaron Tveit (Les Miserables).

BIG SKY opens in New York, Los Angeles and on VOD August 14, 2015.

SESAME STREET: COUNT ON ELMO -- DVD Review by Porfle

I was already in junior high when "Sesame Street" premiered and started knocking my favorite children's shows such as "Captain Kangaroo" off the air with its up-to-date format and a pace more suited to shorter attention spans.  So I didn't really start watching the show until high school and college, when (1) there were only three or four available channels to watch at any one time and (2) my enjoyment of such things in those days was "enhanced" (nudge nudge, wink wink) by certain other factors.

It helped, of course, that the show was designed so that adults as well as kids could enjoy the kooky humor, celebrity cameos, appealing multi-media vignettes, and general sense of fun.  Catching up with some "Sesame Street" all these years later with Warner Home Video's SESAME STREET: COUNT ON ELMO, I find that despite a few changes here and there the show is pretty much just as much fun to watch as ever.

In this particular adventure, there's a continuing storyline about muppets Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Abby trying to enter the Count (full name: Count Von Count) into a counting contest without his knowledge by getting him to count things while secretly videotaping it.

The Count, of course, is delighted to count anything, anytime, anywhere.  But the trick, for this inept bunch, is managing to record it on Grover's camera phone.  This leads to several amusing episodes of the Count happily counting all sorts of things (cookies, frog jumps, cheerleading chickens, etc.) while his muppet friends fail in every attempt to record it for posterity.

As a fan of the old Universal horror classics, I've always loved the Count, who is, of course, based on the iconic Bela Lugosi portrayal of Dracula.  I especially like the way lightning flashes, thunder rolls, and creepy organ music plays whenever he finishes counting something and goes into his trademark Lugosi laugh ("Ah ah ah!").

In between these segments there's the usual assortment of live-action and animated bits designed, in this case, to teach kids how to count to twenty.  While the heavy reliance on CGI made me miss the good old days of stop-motion and cel animation, they're all colorful, imaginative, and quite charming in their own way. I was especially pleased to find that one of my old favorites from the 70s, the "Number 12" song, is still being pressed into service. 

The main storyline builds to a suspenseful finale when the Count is late for his own award ceremony--which is attended by a who's who of Sesame Street human and muppet characters--and his friends do what they can to keep the judges from disqualifying him, including several of them actually impersonating the Count (badly).  It all serves to teach us not only how to count to twenty, but how friends can help and support each other in times of need.

In addition to this main hour-long feature, there's an episode of "Elmo's World" which lasts about fifteen minutes and focuses on friendship.  This series, airing at the end of the usual "Sesame Street" time slot, is aimed at younger preschoolers and is breezy fun.  Bill Irwin (POPEYE, EIGHT MEN OUT) and Kristin Chenoweth ("The West Wing", "Glee") appear as Elmo's not-too-bright neighbors Mr. Noodle and his sister Miss Noodle. 

Last but not least, there's another full-length (50 minutes) feature entitled "Pre-School is Cool: ABC’s With Elmo" which does its best to pound the alphabet into young viewers' heads in a fun way.  Grover guest stars as, believe it or not, a professor teaching an alphabet class with Elmo's help.

Other fun segments include a game show hosted by old favorite Guy Smiley called "Hurry Up!  You're Running Out of Time!" (guest starring Gilbert Gottfried as "The Distractor") and an episode which takes place in the late Mr. Hooper's store and features Seth Green as an alphabet delivery man.
 
If you find yourself watching this with your kids or your nieces or nephews or whatever, or--if you're like me--you actually watch stuff like this by yourself, all it takes to enjoy SESAME STREET: COUNT ON ELMO is to put yourself in the right mindset.  Preschoolers, of course, live in that mindset, and should eat this up like a bowl of tutti-fruitti ice cream with sprinkles on top.

Buy it at the WBShop
Street date: July 7, 2015

THE BIRDS (1963) -- Movie Review by Porfle

The Alfred Hitchcock classic THE BIRDS (1963) shows us how vulnerable we'd be if our little feathered friends suddenly started attacking us en masse for no discernible reason.
 
Long, talky stretches with no music (electronic bird noises take the place of an actual score) lull the viewer into a sense of normalcy that is suddenly shattered by the bloody, violent, and shocking (especially for the time) bird attacks. 

We also get the sense that all of the interpersonal drama between the humans ultimately means nothing in the face of nature's indiscriminate wrath. 

There's a coy will-they-won't-they romance between seemingly aloof jetsetter Melanie Daniels ("Tippi" Hedren) and down-to-earth Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), who lives with his nervous mother (Jessica Tandy) and sweet-tempered little sister Cathy (Veronica Cartwright) in the sleepy coastal town of Bodega Bay.  Former lover Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette), the town's schoolteacher, adds a touch of melancholy by still carrying a smoldering torch for Mitch.

Melanie follows Mitch home from San Francisco one day to deliver some lovebirds to Cathy for her birthday--an elaborate practical joke that demonstrates her impulsive nature and lack of responsibilities.  She will mature before our eyes during the oncoming ordeal, befriending both Cathy and Annie and becoming a worthy match for Mitch even in the eyes of his clinging, judgmental mother.

But none of this matters when the birds attack, except to increase the stakes for Melanie and Mitch who now have more to live for.  Melanie risks her own life without hesitation to help a class full of children escape when a flock of crows descend upon their school, while Mitch will perform heroically during the grueling nighttime siege upon their boarded-up house. 

Both episodes are Hitchcock at his most relentlessly cinematic.  Hitchcock builds suspense masterfully in these and other memorable sequences and delivers the occasional jolt, such as the startling discovery of a bloody victim in his bedroom.

Melanie's attic ordeal in which she suddenly becomes engulfed in a mass of ripping beaks and claws is Hitchcock's attempt to duplicate the shower scene from PSYCHO, to lesser but still impressive effect. (I love the fact that right before she passes out, the once vain and selfish Melanie mutters "Where's Cathy?")

His direction falls short only when the execution fails to match his ideas.  As in the horse-jumping sequence from MARNIE, also starring Hedren, Hitchcock's mental storyboards and creative fancy don't always transfer to film as intended. 

This is true mainly in a series of static closeups of Hedren intercut with a trail of burning gasoline leading up to a horrific gas station explosion.  Earlier, a process shot in which she sits in a rowboat in front of a Bodega Bay backdrop is fake-looking enough (on the big screen, anyway) to evoke laughter in audiences. 

Most of the time, however, Hitchcock proves himself to be one of the most brilliant film stylists of all time with one impressive sequence after another.  The attacks on the school and town are sudden, chaotic, and disorienting.  Jessica Tandy's discovery of the dead neighbor with the pecked-out eyes is a high point of horror, mainly in the way the director leads up to the reveal for maximum shock value. 

With Mitch's family and Melanie barricaded inside the Brenner house awaiting the most intensive attack of all, the final segment of the film is both harrowing and riveting.  It's also a clear influence on George Romero's 1968 zombie classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, including the idea of a sudden and unexplained rash of attacks upon humanity that force groups of people to seek shelter and wait in fear of an unknown, incomprehensible menace. 

The fact that these attacks are never explained helps to give THE BIRDS the feeling of a nightmare, perhaps moreso than any other Hitchcock film.  Its enigmatic, inconclusive ending, criticized by some, is Hitchcock's own Mona Lisa smile, hinting that a little mystery--along with a nasty little jolt now and then--is good for the soul.

Trailer
Hitchcock teaser trailer

ALL AMERICAN BULLY -- DVD Review by Porfle

Not quite the "school shooting" type of revenge flick I was expecting nor an anti-bullying After School Special, ALL AMERICAN BULLY, aka "The Innocent" (2011), is mostly a good old-fashioned lowbrow teen thriller that plays like something you might've rented on VHS back in the 80s.

We first meet a trio of nerds who hang around in a basement gazing at their laptops or playing videogames.  Two of them, Devon (Alexander Fraser) and Becky (Alicia Rose), are movie nerds, which means that they're actually fairly attractive unlike actual nerds.  Garrett (Darren Hicks), on the other hand, looks and acts like a real nerd, adding to the film's authenticity. 

Thanks to a pleasantly rural smalltown setting, these kids walk a lot to get where they're going, which brings them into contact with the town bully, Johnny (Daren Ackerman) when he and a similarly hostile companion pull up in Johnny's truck and start terrorizing them.  As so often happens in real life, Becky mouths off at Johnny while Devon must suffer the consequences. 

The bullies steal a precious gaming manual that Devon has saved all year for, bitch-slapping him a few times as they go, which made me begin to feel predictably infuriated and already yearning for them to die or at least horribly suffer before this movie's over with.  It's already apparent that things are going to escalate drastically at some point.

Devon gets even more punishment when he invades the sanctity of Johnny's forest hangout where he and his friends do drugs and shoot guns, using pages from Devon's book as targets.  Devon not only throws a hissy fit for this outrage but also calls Johnny's slutty girlfriend a "whore", a description Johnny deems a bit too accurate, and a round-robin beating ensues which she tapes so it can be posted online. 

Just so we don't start thinking, "Hmm...Devon should report these incidents to an adult", we discover that his wheelchair-bound father Mike (Bob Olin) is a terminally confused single dad with an uncommunicative nerd for a son, and that Devon's teachers are pretty ineffectual as well.  The school principal, nicely played by one of slasher cinema's all-time leading final girls (FRIDAY THE 13TH's Adrienne King), is only a hop, skip, and jump from the booby hatch herself. 

Later in the story we're shocked to find that Devon and Johnny used to be best friends, and that Devon has something he can post online to get back at his tormentor big time.  But this episode proves that fighting fire with fire isn't always a good idea, leading to some of that "escalation" I mentioned earlier.  In short, Johnny--whom we discover is much more "troubled" than we realized--goes full-tilt coo-coo. 

This is where ALL AMERICAN BULLY either goes off the rails or really gets good, depending on how you perceive the last fifteen minutes or so.  Without giving much away, the finale takes place in the woods at night and involves a gun, a video camera, drugs, blood, rape, death, and a general air of unpleasantness.  Some of the plot turns as well as the acting are all over the place, but in a good way, and it's all entertainingly over-the-top.

Writer-director Jason Hawkins handles his low budget well and there are some nice visual touches here and there as well as an ear-pleasing musical score.  The acting by the leads may not always be polished, but they put a lot into it.  Alexander Fraser as Devon reminds me of Scott Jacoby of BAD RONALD fame and could play the title role if they ever did a remake.

The DVD from Wild-Eye Releasing is in widescreen with Dolby 2.0 sound.  No subtitles.  As a bonus there is over an hour's worth of cast interviews including 13 minutes with Adrienne King. 

Although I avoided bullying by being not just a nerd but a class clown as well, I could identify with the beleaguered protagonists in this story.  Now that I'm an adult, I can also sympathize with the grown-ups in the story who have scant clue as to how to handle any of this.  As a movie fan, I was pleased that ALL AMERICAN BULLY didn't always go the route I expected and, though messy and maybe a little goofy at times, the ending was anything but boring. 

Buy it at Amazon.com