HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Nicolas Cage to Topline Action Thriller "A SCORE TO SETTLE" from Director Shawn KU



ACADEMY AWARD WINNER NICOLAS CAGE TO TOPLINE ACTION THRILLER “A SCORE TO SETTLE” FROM DIRECTOR SHAWN KU

Highland Film Group to Commence Sales During AFM (American Film Market)


LOS ANGELES (October 26, 2017) – Highland Film Group announced today that Academy Award Winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, National Treasure franchise) has signed on to play the lead in A Score to Settle from director Shawn Ku, winner of the TIFF FIRPRESCI Discovery Award for his debut feature Beautiful Boy.  The project is an action thriller that takes the audience on a psychological journey from imprisonment through redemption. 
First Point Entertainment’s Lee Clay (Rememory, Comet, No Good Deed) and Goldrush Entertainment’s Eric Gozlan (Beautiful Boy, Standoff) will produce, with Highland Film Group’s Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier Executive Producing.  Highland Film Group will introduce to international buyers during the American Film Market (AFM).

A Score to Settle begins when Frank (Nicolas Cage), a convicted mob enforcer battling a terminal illness, is released from prison many years after taking the fall for a crime he didn’t commit. Now free, he sets out on a path for revenge against the people who wronged him.

Cage stars in the horror thriller Mom and Dad which earned rave reviews following its world premiere in the midnight madness section of the Toronto Film Festival.  He is currently in post-production on #211 and Looking Glass, which Highland Film Group is also selling.

Cage is represented by CAA, LINK Entertainment and Bloom, Hergott, Diemer, Rosenthal, Laviolette, Feldman, Schenkman & Goodman. Ku is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency, Field Entertainment, and Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman.

About Highland Film Group
Led by Arianne Fraser and Delphine Perrier, Highland Film Group (HFG) is an independent worldwide sales, production and film financing company. HFG provides financing through a combination of pre-sales to help cover senior and subordinated debt, gap, tax credit, and facilitates capital for mezzanine and equity financing. 

The Highland Film Group slate includes: John Moore’s The Manuscript starring Morgan Freeman; the star-studded Berlin, I Love You with Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Jim Sturgess, Mickey Rourke, Diego Luna, Orlando Bloom, Sophie Turner, Jack Huston, Patrick Dempsey, Renee Zellweger, and Jenna Dewan Tatum; Vaughn Stein’s Terminal starring Margot Robbie; Jon Avnet’s Three Christs starring Richard Gere; Eric Bress’ supernatural psychological thriller Ghosts of War starring Brenton Thwaites; Lin Oeding’s thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa; and Scott Mann’s Final Score starring Dave Bautista and Pierce Brosnan.



Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, October 30, 2017

Spend Your Halloween With Fall's Most Unique Thrillers - "CREEP 2" and "SUPER DARK TIMES"



CREEP 2

Directed by Patrick Brice and Written by Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass
Starring Desiree Akhavan and Mark Duplass


"Will impress any fan of the original."
- John Defore, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"A blackly hilarious, increasingly intense showdown between two very engaging and unusual characters."
- Meredith Borders, BIRTH.MOVIES.DEATH

"Brice and Duplass have created one of the most subdued and charismatic horror characters of this decade."
- Ben Larned, DAILY DEAD

"Duplass is so very excellent in these movies: true to the title, he’s creepy as all get out."
- Eli Fine, THE PLAYLIST

"The best horror-comedy since Evil Dead II, expertly blending both genres."
- Jonathan Barkan, DREAD CENTRAL

Synopsis:
Desiree Akhavan (“Girls”, APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR) stars as Sara, a video artist whose primary focus is creating intimacy with lonely men. After finding an ad online for "video work," she thinks she may have found the subject of her dreams.

She drives to a remote house in the forest and meets a man claiming to be a serial killer (Mark Duplass, reprising his role from the previous film). Unable to resist the chance to create a truly shocking piece of art, she agrees to spend the day with him. However, as the day goes on she discovers she may have dug herself into a hole she can't escape.
     
TRT: 80m Country: USA  Language: English



SUPER DARK TIMES

Directed by Kevin Phillips and Written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski
Starring Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, Elizabeth Cappuccino


"Filmmakers looking for ways to distinguish their first feature film could learn from Kevin Phillips... While another movie might have leaned harder on ripped-from-the-headlines prurience, SUPER DARK TIMES instead aims to become a more elusive pleasure — a simple story, well told."
- Teo Bugbee, THE NEW YORK TIMES

"An incredibly stylish and confident debut from director Kevin Phillips...when he digs into the muck of the rot at the heart of it, he comes up with some unforgettable moments."
- Emily Yoshida, VULTURE

"Pitch-perfect evocation of boys coming of age under extreme duress...what emerges is less a traditional horror film than a character study in which remorse, rage and desire uneasily comingle."
- Nick Schager, THE DAILY BEAST

“A phenomenal thriller. A remarkable, atmospheric debut with exceptional performances.”
– Joe McGovern, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"Visceral and gripping.  An unnerving cross between STAND BY ME and DONNIE DARKO."
– David Ehrlich, INDIEWIRE

Synopsis:
Zach (Owen Campbell) and Josh (Charlie Tahan) are best friends growing up in a leafy Upstate New York suburb in the 1990s, where teenage life revolves around hanging out, looking for kicks, navigating first love and vying for popularity.

When a traumatic incident drives a wedge between the previously inseparable pair, their youthful innocence abruptly vanishes. Each young man processes the tragedy in his own way, until circumstances grow increasingly complex and spiral into violence.

A harrowing but meticulously observed look at teenage lives in the era prior to the Columbine High School massacre, SUPER DARK TIMES marks the feature debut of gifted director Kevin Phillips, whose critically acclaimed 2015 short film "Too Cool For School" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

TRT: 102 min Country:  USA Language:  English 



Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, October 27, 2017

"THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: THE BOB HOPE SPECIALS DELUXE COLLECTION" Celebrates a Legendary Entertainer with the Most Complete Collection of His TV Specials Ever Assembled



AMERICA'S GREATEST ENTERTAINER OF THE 20TH CENTURY IS CELEBRATED IN THE MOST COMPLETE COLLECTION OF HIS TELEVISION SPECIALS EVER AVAILABLE
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: THE BOB HOPE SPECIALS DELUXE COLLECTION

Featuring More Than 37 Hours of Classic Hope and Legendary Celebrity Guests, This 19-Disc Set Includes 39 Specials - Including 20 Not Seen Since Their Original Broadcast -- and Bonus Features Including Hope's Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, a 32-Page Memory Book Filled with Rare, Archival Photos and Stories, All Housed in a Deluxe Collector's Box for $249.95srp
-- Just in Time for the Holidays!

AVAILABLE IN STORES NOVEMBER 14, 2017


Bob Hope, America's greatest entertainer of the 20th century, is celebrated in THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: THE BOB HOPE SPECIALS, the most complete collection of his television specials ever assembled!  The TV DVD archivists at Time Life have selected the very best of Hope's 250 network specials spanning five decades, many in support of the U.S. Armed Forces, for this ultimate boxed set.  Celebrating the legendary and beloved entertainer's legacy, this one-of-a-kind collection is packed with comedy, music, dancing, movie stars, and, of course, Bob's memorable monologues all perfect for wholesome family viewing.

Across 19 DVDs, fans will find more than 37 hours of specials, including 20 that have not been seen since their original broadcast, as well as an incredible collection of celebrity guest appearances from the biggest stars of the era such as John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Raquel Welch, Desi Arnaz, Jack Benny, Don Rickles, Barbra Streisand, George Burns, Dean Martin, Ann-Margret, Lucille Ball, Steve McQueen, Lola Falana, Tom Jones, Carol Burnett, Angie Dickinson, Andy Williams, Lana Turner, Jayne Mansfield, Redd Foxx, Zsa Zsa Gabor and many others.



Housed in a deluxe collector's box, stuffed with timeless entertainment, THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: THE BOB HOPE SPECIALS is comprised of four releases:

Thanks for the Memories: The Bob Hope Specials (6 Discs) -- Featuring 13 specials from 1956 to 1996, this DVD set contains hilarious compilation shows that spotlight the best moments from years of remarkable footage: a full episode of all-time classic bloopers, Bob Hope's first show in color, his 90th birthday party special, Laughing with the Presidents, and more.  This collection also includes the bonus show Shanks for the Memory, on the world of golf according to Bob Hope. 

Bob Hope: Entertaining The Troops (4 Discs) -- Featuring 10 shows from 1950 to 1993, this DVD set features several USO Christmas specials filmed before troops serving in locations all over the world - from the Cold War through the Vietnam years to the Persian Gulf. The set also contains the holiday-themed DVD Hope for the Holidays, featuring a compilation of Bob Hope's most hilarious Christmas sketches through the years along with his very first Christmas special, as well as the bonus feature Memories of World War II with rare clips, highlights from Bob Hope's Armed Forces Network radio show, and Bob and guests reminiscing about the era.


Bob Hope: TV Legend (8 Discs) - The American treasure is at his very best in this singular collection of 16 classic variety specials from 1958-1973, including 10 USO holiday specials from the Cold War through Vietnam featuring dance, music and comedy and dozens of celebrity guests.  Aside from touching interactions with troops the world over, memorable moments include a star-studded comic ensemble sending up network censorship, a rollicking Western showdown between Bob's comic colleagues and Hollywood cowboys and a nostalgic Tribute to Vaudeville

BONUS DVD: The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts: Bob Hope (1 Disc) -- This bonus disc features the star-studded roast of Bob Hope hosted by the irrepressible Dean Martin.  Among the roasters featured are Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Don Rickles, John Wayne, and many more!  
Hope's storied life and career spanned more than a century, during which he left an indelible mark across vaudeville, Broadway, recordings, concerts, radio, films and TV.  And this comprehensive collection of his television specials, exclusively from Time Life, showcases the beloved entertainer's inimitable magic like never before!



About Time Life
Time Life is one of the world's pre-eminent creators and direct marketers of unique music and video/DVD products, specializing in distinctive multi-media collections that evoke memories of yesterday, capture the spirit of today, and can be enjoyed for a lifetime. TIME LIFE and the TIME LIFE logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc.

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Format: DVD (19 Discs)
Running Time: 37 hours + extras
Genre:  TV/Comedy
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Stereo



Share/Save/Bookmark

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Helen Mirren in "WINCHESTER" - See The New Teaser Trailer & Teaser One Sheet Now



HELEN MIRREN IN

THE INCREDIBLE FACT-BASED GHOST STORY

"WINCHESTER"

New Teaser Trailer & Teaser One Sheet Now Available
 
Inspired by true events. On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester, (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren) heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end.

Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman's madness.


But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece (Sarah Snook) or for the brilliant Doctor Eric Price (Jason Clarke) whom she has summoned to the house.

She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters...

Directed By: The Spierig Brothers (Jigsaw, Predestination)
Produced By: Tim McGahan (Predestination) and Brett Tomberlin (Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show)

WATCH THE TRAILER




Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, October 23, 2017

"ATTACK OF THE KILLER DONUTS" -- Level 33 Announces the Release of Hilarious New Horror Comedy Nov. 17



LEVEL 33 ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF A HILARIOUS NEW HORROR COMEDY

"ATTACK OF THE KILLER DONUTS"

Coming to Select Theaters & On Demand Everywhere – November 17th, 2017

Los Angeles (CA) – Level 33 Entertainment has announced today the official release date for the horror comedy feature film ATTACK OF THE KILLER DONUTS starring C. Thomas Howell (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Outsiders, & The Amazing Spider-Man), Justin Ray (1 Chance 2 Dance & Disaster L.A.), and Michael Swan (As the World Turns, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI, & The Bold and the Beautiful).

The film will screen in select cities across the U.S. and will be available “Day-and-Date” via all On Demand platforms including iTunes Movies, Comcast Xfinity, Amazon Video, Sony PlayStation, and many more.

ATTACK OF THE KILLER DONUTS was directed by Primetime Emmy Nominee Scott Wheeler (Martian Land, Avalanche Sharks, & Sink Hole). The film was written by Nathan Dalton (Beaten Path & Home for Detention), Chris De Christopher (Piranhaconda, General Hospital, & Death Racers), and Rafael Diaz-Wagner (Porkchop and a Glass of Water, Bernie Weiss: The Most Interesting Man in Miama, & Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre); produced by Rafael Diaz-Wagner and Nicole M. Saad (Left Behind, Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre, & Ninja Bitch Killer).

Synopsis:  We've eaten them for years, now it's their turn! A chemical accident turns ordinary donuts into bloodthirsty killers. Now it's up to Johnny, Michelle and Howard to save their sleepy town from... Killer Donuts.

Watch the Official Trailer:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Attack-Of-The-Killer-Donuts
TWITTER: @Level33_Ent
Instagram:  @level33entertainment

ABOUT Level 33 Entertainment
Los Angeles based Level 33 Entertainment is an entertainment company dedicated to redefining the landscape for independent film distribution.  Level 33 provides innovative sales, marketing and distribution services for feature films and entertainment content, delivering a flexible and transparent distribution solution for all platforms including Theatrical, Home Entertainment, Digital and Broadcast.  Current releases from Level 33 include UNLEASHED with Kate Micucci, Sean Astin, Justin Chatwin, and Steve Howey, IMPERFECTIONS starring Zach McGowan, Ed Begley Jr. and Marilu Henner, and 1 NIGHT with Anna Camp and Justin Chatwin.
www.level33entertainment.com



Share/Save/Bookmark

Friday, October 20, 2017

Celebrate America's Clown Prince with the 22-Disc "THE RED SKELTON HOUR IN COLOR: DELUXE EDITION" -- Just in Time for the Holidays!



THIS NOVEMBER, TIME LIFE CELEBRATES AMERICA'S CLOWN PRINCE IN A SINGULAR COLLECTION OF VINTAGE COMEDY FROM ONE OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF TV'S LANDMARK VARIETY SHOWS

THE RED SKELTON HOUR IN COLOR:
DELUXE COLLECTION

Specially-Priced for Holiday Gift Giving at $199.95srp, This Over-Stuffed 22-Disc Collection Features More Than 65 Hours of Uproarious Comedy, Incredible Guest Stars and Bonuses Including an Exclusive DVD of Red's Farewell Specials, a Full-Length Biography and a Collectible Memory Book

AVAILABLE IN STORES NOVEMBER 7, 2017


Red Skelton was a brilliant performer, a passionate patriot, and a master of simple, hilarious and classic comedy.  Now, home audiences can be entertained by America's Clown Prince any time with a singular collection of episodes from The Red Skelton Hour, many of which have been unseen for over 50 years!  Featuring over 65 hours of hilarious, heart-warming humor from one of the country's most treasured comedians, THE RED SKELTON HOUR IN COLOR: DELUXE COLLECTION will be available to add to every home entertainment collection on November 7, 2017 for $199.95srp.


With a heart of pure gold, uproarious jokes and an unparalleled gift for physical comedy, Skelton kept TV audiences in stitches for 20 groundbreaking seasons on CBS-TV's The Red Skelton Show.  Each week, viewers were treated to his memorable lineup of inimitable characters including country bumpkin Clem Kadiddlehopper, Sheriff Deadeye and lovable hobo Freddie the Freeloader, as well as the biggest movie and TV stars of the day who all clamored to appear on Red's show including John Wayne, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Milton Berle, Jackie Cooper, Tim Conway, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Simon and Garfunkel, Phyllis Diller, Merv Griffin, Audrey Meadows, Mickey Rooney, Nipsey Russell, Robert Goulet, Audrey Meadows and many more! 

Across this ultimate 22 disc collection, home audiences will discover a treasure trove of true RED, White & Blue entertainment - 130 remastered episodes for optimal viewing and hours of extras, including a full-length biography of Red with rare home movies and intimate interviews, a bonus DVD of Red's Farewell Specials and an exclusive, collectible Memory Book giving fans a closer look at how Red's most beloved characters came to life.  The set is comprised of three distinct DVD collections:
 
THE RED SKELTON Show: THE EARLY YEARS (8 Discs) -- The beginning of Red's legendary two-decade television journey is celebrated in this 72 episode set. Many of Red's best characters and classic bits can be found in these episodes, providing a side-splitting look at a true pioneer of television's Golden Age.
 
THE RED SKELTON HOUR: IN COLOR (10 Discs) -- This deluxe set features 31 rarely seen episodes in their original, brilliant color; highlights include Red's famous recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, musical performances by Simon & Garfunkel, Frankie Valli, The 5th Dimension and more, plus a bonus Skelton biography, America's Clown.

THE COMPLETE 20TH SEASON: IN COLOR (3 Discs) -- Twenty years after The Red Skelton Show first aired on NBC in 1951, the extraordinary Red appeared in his last season, bringing all his wonderful characters to life for the last time on network television.  An incredible group of guest stars includes Jerry Lewis, Vincent Price, Robert Wagner, Jill St. John and many more!

BONUS DVD: RED SKELTON: THE FAREWELL SPECIALS (1 Disc) --Red's zany, unexpected and classically hilarious crowning performances are celebrated in this compilation of farewell specials, featuring, "Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner," "More Funny Faces," "Funny Faces III," and "A Royal Command Performance" - America's wackiest court jester gets silly with Britain's Royal Family at London's Royal Albert Hall.
 
There's no business like funny business and no one did it better than Red, on full, hilarious display in THE RED SKLETON HOUR IN COLOR!


About Time Life
Time Life is one of the world's pre-eminent creators and direct marketers of unique music and video/DVD products, specializing in distinctive multi-media collections that evoke memories of yesterday, capture the spirit of today, and can be enjoyed for a lifetime. TIME LIFE and the TIME LIFE logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Warner Inc. or Time Inc.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Format: DVD (22 Discs)
Running Time: 3900 minutes
Genre:  TV/Comedy
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Stereo



Share/Save/Bookmark

Thursday, October 19, 2017

DAY OF ROMERO in Los Angeles: George Romero To Get Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame October 25, 2017




HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO HONOR THE LATE GEORGE A. ROMERO

GODFATHER OF THE MODERN ZOMBIE FILM GENRE WITH POSTHUMOUS WALK OF FAME STAR
 

WHO:         Honoree: George A. Romero
Emcee: Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler
Guest speaker: Filmmaker Edgar Wright and special effects make-up artist/producer, Greg Nicotero.  Accepting the star on behalf of the family will be Romero’s wife Suzanne Desrocher-Romero

WHAT:       Dedication of the 2,621st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in the category of Motion Pictures

WHERE:    6604 Hollywood Boulevard in front the Hollywood Toy & Costume Store

WHEN:      Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. PDT
Event will be live-streamed exclusively on www.walkoffame.com


The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that filmmaker George A. Romero will be honored posthumously with the 2,621st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. PDT. The star will be dedicated in the category of Motion Pictures at 6604 Hollywood Boulevard in front the Hollywood Toy & Costume Store.

“The fact that fans nominated Mr. Romero for the Walk of Fame star speaks volumes of how loved he was for his work in the horror film genre and for being the person he was. Fortunately, prior to his passing he learned that he was selected for a star, and we are saddened that he won’t be here with us for his special day,” stated Ana Martinez, Producer of the Walk of Fame.

Helping Emcee and Hollywood Chamber President/CEO Leron Gubler to unveil the star will be guest speakers: Filmmaker Edgar Wright and special effects make-up artist Greg Nicotero.  Accepting the star will be Romero’s wife Suzanne Desrocher-Romero.


The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce which administers the popular star ceremonies encourages people who are unable to attend and fans around the world to watch the event live exclusively on www.walkoffame.com.

Born on Feb. 4, 1940 in New York City, Romero became interested in filmmaking at a young age when he borrowed an 8mm camera from a wealthy uncle. Inspired by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s musical opera, “Tales of Hoffmann” (1951), Romero began making his own short films and was arrested at 14 years old after he threw a flaming dummy off the roof of a building while making “Man from the Meteor” (1954).

While attending Suffield Academy in Connecticut, Romero made two 8mm shorts, “Gorilla” (1956) and “Earth Bottom” (1956); the latter being a geology documentary that won him a Future Scientists of America award. After graduating high school, he attended Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA where he earned his Bachelor’s in Art, Theater and Design in 1960.

Romero continued making shorts such as “Curly” (1958) and graduated to 16mm films with “Slant” (1958), both of which he made with sometime collaborator Rudolph Ricci. Following work as a grip on Alfred Hitchcock's “North by Northwest” (1958), Romero shot the feature-length “Expostulations” (1962), a satirical anthology of loosely-connected shorts that showed hints of his later social consciousness.

After forming the commercial and industrial production company, Latent Image, in 1963, Romero cobbled together $114,000 in order to direct his first feature film, “Night of the Flesh Eaters.” Renamed “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) after landing a distributor, the unrelenting film - which was criticized at the time for its onscreen excesses - became a landmark cult film and significant social barometer that forever changed the horror genre.


With no heroes or redemptive meaning - only unstoppable nihilistic evil rampaging through small town America - the movie popularized the zombie apocalypse subgenre of horror, spawning numerous imitators throughout the ensuing decades.

Though decidedly cheap in production values, “Night of the Living Dead” nonetheless stood the test of time as an innovative cult film that attracted new fans every generation and became Romero’s signature work.

Romero’s other films include: “Season of the Witch,” “The Crazies, “Knight Riders,” “Creep Show,” “Monkey Shines: An Experiment in Fear,” “Two Evil Eyes.”

Romero secured his cult status with two remarkable films: “Martin” and “Dawn of the Dead”.   He later went on to write “Day of the Dead, the ostensible conclusion to the “Living Dead” trilogy which emerged as one Romero’s strongest horror films to date.

Romero also worked in television as the creator, co-executive producer and occasional writer of “Tales from the Dark Side.”  Romero teamed up with Stephen King again for his adaptation of King’s novel, “The Dark Half.”

In 2004, Romero returned to familiar territory with “Land of the Dead,” a continuation of his zombie franchise long thought to be finished with “Day of the Dead.” This time, however, Romero increased the energy with a fast-paced actioner that was not shy on the gore and violence, pleasing both fans and the uninitiated. “Land of the Dead” ended up being one of the best reviewed films of the 2005 summer!

He continued his zombie revitalization with “Diary of the Dead,” which was more of a reboot than a sequel to the other four movies in the “Dead” series. He then made the sixth in the series, “Survival of the Dead” (2010), which saw the inhabitants of an isolated island off the coast of North America conflicted whether to kill their own relatives rising from the grave, or try to find a cure. Romero’s “Dead” films continue to inspire such hits as “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) and “Zombieland” (2009).

In 2013, Romero’s “Empire of the Dead” was announced by Marvel Comics. It was a 15-issue limited comic book series which began publication in 2014, and ended in late 2015. “Empire” features zombies similar to those in his “Living Dead” film series, but differs slightly because vampires are also part of the story.
Dubbed the “Godfather of Zombie Films,” George A. Romero was a pivotal figure in the development of the contemporary horror film and the progenitor of the zombie apocalypse subgenre.
Filmmakers who consider Romero as one of their influences include Frank Darabont, Guillermo Del Toro, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino to name just few!

Sadly, Romero passed away on July 16, 2017 from a brief, but aggressive battle with lung cancer. He slipped away listening to the score of “The Quite Man,” one of his all-time favorite films, with his family by his side. He leaves behind a filmmaking legacy that has endured, and will continue to endure, the test of time!



ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME www.WalkOfFame.com
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an internationally-recognized Hollywood icon. With approximately 24 star ceremonies annually broadcast around the world, the constant reinforcement provided to the public has made the Walk of Fame a top visitor attraction. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce continues to add stars on the Walk of Fame as the representative of the City of Los Angeles. The Walk of Fame is a tribute to all of those who worked diligently to develop the concept and to maintain this world-class tourist attraction. The Walk of Fame is open to the public. No paid admission or assigned seating at star ceremonies. It is understood that the cost of installing a star on the Walk of Fame upon approval is $40,000 and the sponsor of the nominee accepts the responsibility for arranging for payment to the Hollywood Historic Trust, a 501(c)3 charitable foundation. The funds are used to pay for the creation/installation of the star and ceremony, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame. Download the official app for iPhones and Android devices at http://officialhollywoodwalkoffameapp.com

For more than 96 years, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has provided leadership, business development resources, networking, and government affairs programs and services to keep the Hollywood business and residential communities safe, relevant and economically vital. Jeff Zarrinnam, is the Chair of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 2017-18, and Leron Gubler is the President/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. For more information please visit www.hollywoodchamber.net.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign are registered trademarks of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
#hollywoodwalkoffame   #wofstargirl



Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, October 16, 2017

BEYOND THE SEVENTH DOOR -- DVD Review by Porfle




You never know how a "cult" film is going to strike you.  Will you get caught up in whatever its many devoted fans see in it?  Or will its dubious appeal pass you by completely, making it seem to you like just another cheap piece of dreck? 

The 1987 Canuxploitation thriller (well, sorta) BEYOND THE SEVENTH DOOR hits me about halfway between the two extremes.  I found it entertaining enough for a low-budget effort but I'm not quite moved to go out into the street singing its praises. 

The best thing I can say is that there's plenty of fun to be had for those who appreciate fair-to-bad movies, especially ones that fully and imaginatively utilize their severely limited resources.
 

Serbian writer-director Bozidar D. Benedikt (THE GRAVEYARD STORY) has certainly done so, piecing together various ideal found locations to concoct nothing less than a small-scale subterranean puzzle-maze adventure. 

Ex-con Boris (Serbian actor Lazar Rockwood, THE RETURN) looks up his old girlfriend and former robbery partner Wendy (Bonnie Beck, CITY IN PANIC) and presents her with a proposition: help him get into the castle of the rich old guy Wendy works for so that they can try to find the treasure he's said to be hoarding somewhere within its walls. 

She's hesitant at first, but--long story short--they end up going through with the plan after she's cased the joint, made copies of certain keys, and figured out that the most likely location for a hidden treasure is behind that big locked door in the basement. 


Once they go through it, however, they've just initiated an automated security system (actually more of a game-playing ordeal for the old man's amusement) that will have them scrambling to decipher clues to get them from one room to the next lest they perish in one of a series of diabolical death traps. 

The old man's recorded voice, heard intermittently over a speaker system, promises that if they make it to the end they can keep whatever they find, but as the night wears on and the traps become more and more deadly, this seems unlikely. 

Of course, it all plays like a poor man's version of similar quests in such films as INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE and NATIONAL TREASURE.  But since BEYOND THE SEVENTH DOOR is operating on a budget less than what those films spent on Evian water, it's interesting to watch just what kind of brain-teasing labyrinth of mystery director Benedikt and his crew have been able to come up with.


Like other such stories, it's sort of a condensed version of a cliffhanger serial with each scene building to some impending-doom situation--spikes descending from the ceiling, a sealed room slowly filling with water, walls closing in, etc.--which, while not all that terribly thrilling, manages to keep us interested.

But what really holds our attention is watching the two leads wildly emoting their way through it all, their performances none too polished but brimming with energy.  Pretty Bonnie Beck is capable enough, especially in the quieter scenes, while lanky, angular-looking Lazar Rockwood tends to go off like a bottle rocket every few moments, his performance often resembling one of those manic characters Martin Short is known for.

Both manage to shed some of their clothes along the way as Wendy rips her dress down to her stockings and garters trying to plug up some water-gushing holes in the wall and Boris, to my personal dismay, somehow loses his shirt. 


A sudden, fitful sex scene between the two comes on like a steam-valve burst of nervous energy but mercifully fades out before we go blind, and, without much further ado, the movie sweeps us along toward that 7th door and its final, life-or-death dilemma.

The DVD from Intervision is in 1.33:1 full frame with Dolby sound.  No subtitles. Extras include interviews with Benedikt and Rockwood (and Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation.com), the featurette "The King of Cayenne" about eccentric street personality Ben Kerr (who plays a corpse in the film), and an entertaining audio commentary with Benedikt, Rockwood, and Corupe.

After pleasantly stringing us along for the better part of an hour and a half, BEYOND THE SEVENTH DOOR ends with a rather nifty, and nasty, plot twist that had me feeling pretty satisfied about the whole thing.  I may not become part of the film's cult, but I can sort of understand why there is one.


Buy it at Severin Films

Release date: October 31, 2017







Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, October 14, 2017

THE FORLORNED -- Movie Review by Porfle



It seems as though ghost stories are one of the hardest kinds of movies to make, or at least make scary.  Most are lucky if they manage to be scary half the time, usually starting out strong before fizzling out toward the end. 

In these cases, a bunch of spooky peripheral glimpses and some nerve-jangling jump scares keep us on edge until the story gets in the way and things start being a little too literal and on-the-nose expository. 

THE FORLORNED (2017) suffers from this problem, but fortunately it doesn't suffer too terribly much.  Why?  Because it's such a likable effort and builds up so much goodwill in the first half that we're willing to go along with it to the end even when it isn't creeping us out.  That first half, while not exactly heart-attack-inducing, is all goosebumpy, Halloween-style fun.   


The setting is a big old mansion on a remote, fog-swept island in New England (the movie was filmed on location--in Montana) next to an abandoned lighthouse.  Bad, and I mean VERY bad things are said to have happened on that island, dating back to the War of 1812 when some really horrible atrocities took place.  Since then, anyone setting foot on the island has terrifying ghostly experiences that are whispered about in reverent awe by the townsfolk.

Tom Doherty (Colton Christensen), a young carpenter desperately in need of money, sets foot big time by getting hired to stay in the house by himself for several weeks doing renovations. He's one of those "ha ha, I don't believe in that kind of stuff" types until colorfully grizzled old local Murphy (Cory Dangerfield), who owns a pub on the mainland, helpfully lets him in on all of the island's terrifying ghostly history in graphic detail.

Thus the stage is set for that first half of THE FORLORNED that keeps us all giddy and tingly as Tom experiences all sorts of noises, fleeting glimpses, an old radio that keeps coming on by itself, and electrical failures that must be remedied at the breaker box located in--you guessed it--the basement, into which Tom must venture in pitch dark as we're thinking, "Uh...no. Just no."  And I haven't even mentioned the man-eating ghost warthog.


It's ideal entertainment for that eerie Halloween mood, even throwing in a couple of effective gross-outs (chocolate cake with maggot filling, a flashback of early 1800's sailors turning into ravaging flesh-eaters) and the kind of queasy haunted-house stuff that makes certain people recall films such as THE CHANGELING and THE OTHERS so fondly.  (This big, creepy old house, by the way, is an ideal setting for the film, aided by some effective CGI-generated environs.)

Eventually, Tom is joined by Amy Garrity (Elizabeth Mouton), a plucky young woman who lived in the house as a little girl and is back seeking closure for the mysterious death of her father and disappearance of her mother.  She's a good character and we like her, but it's right about here that the film starts to get less scary and more talky, especially when Tom's body gets "occupied" by a surprise guest ghost and Colton Christensen's previously understated performance becomes big and theatrical, as though the final scenes were part of a broad dinner theater play. 

Still, by this time we're pretty invested in the story and don't really mind that it's no longer all that blood-curdling.  It all comes to a mostly satisfying conclusion and leaves us feeling as though we've just heard a particularly effective sleepover story.  And if that's what THE FORLORNED was aiming for, then it pretty much succeeded. 





Share/Save/Bookmark

Newly Restored in 2K, Film Movement Releases Romy Schneider's Classic "SISSI COLLECTION" on Blu-Ray for the Very First Time on 11/14



"Glittering Splendor...Schneider is a sight to behold." -- The New York Times

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, FILM MOVEMENT BRINGS TOGETHER "THE SISSI TRILOGY", NEWLY RESTORED IN 2K AND AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON BLU-RAY

THE SISSI COLLECTION

Romy Schneider Vaulted to International Stardom in Her Career Defining Role as the Beloved Austrian Princess; Every Timeless Sissi Film is Collected in this 5-Disc Set, Perfect for the Whole Family


Available on November 14, 2017 Extras Include a Bonus Disc featuring "Forever My Love" (1962), a Condensed English-Dubbed Version of the Trilogy, a "Making of" Featurette and a 20-page Collector's Booklet

At the age of seventeen, Romy Schneider vaulted to international stardom through her portrayal of Princess Elisabeth (Sissi) of Austria in the first of three lavish films directed by Ernst Marischka.  And, while she would go on to work with some of the most influential and daring European directors of the era, Schneider will always be remembered by this defining role in the internationally beloved series.  Newly restored in 2K and available for the first time ever on Blu-ray in North America, THE SISSI COLLECTION, priced at $74.95srp, includes the Cannes Golden Palm-Nominated "Sissi Trilogy" along with VICTORIA IN DOVER (1954), a precursor to the Sissi films in which Schneider plays Britain's Princess Victoria.


In SISSI, the title tale from 1955, viewers embraced the 16 year-old Sissi as she traveled with her mother to the Austrian court in Ischl, where the engagement between her sister Helene and the young emperor Franz Josef (Karl Boehm) was to be announced.  Unfortunately for Helene, he falls for Sissi after meeting her while out fishing.  Sissi is also romantically engaged, but marriage comes with a price -- Archduchess Sophie, his arrogant and headstrong mother! 

The sequel, SISSI: THE YOUNG EMPRESS (1956) follows the magnificent imperial wedding in Vienna and finds Sissi settling down to everyday life as empress.  Unfortunately, the strong-willed Sissi and her domineering mother-in-law cannot see eye to eye, and the conflict is heightened with the birth of a daughter.  Ultimately, a truce is brokered and the young couple head from Hungary where they are crowned King and Queen. 

In the final film in the beloved trilogy, SISSI: THE FATEFUL YEARS OF THE EMPRESS(1957), Sissi has proven her ability to not only handle affairs of state but also her mother-in-law.  But as the Queen travels to Hungary in an effort to calm the insubordinate nobility, Archduchess Sophie again causes trouble for her daughter-in-law.

All of the remastered films in "The Sissi Trilogy" are presented in both 16:9 widescreen and the original theatrical full screen aspect ratios.

BONUS FEATURES
FOREVER MY LOVE (1962) --  The beloved "Sissi Trilogy" presented in a condensed English-dubbed version, originally released by Paramount Pictures in the U.S. and featuring a theme song written by Burt Bacharach.
FROM ROMY TO SISSI -- Making-of Featurette
SISSI'S GREAT-GRANDSON AT THE MOVIES - Excerpt from the documentary film Elisabeth: Enigma of an Empress
Full-color, 20-page collectible booklet with new essay by critic Farran Smith Nehme

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Type:  Blu-ray
Running Time: 600 mins. + extras
Rating:  NR
Genre:  Drama
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen/4:3
Audio:  (BD) DTS-HD Master Audio/5.1 Dolby Digital / (Bonus DVD) 5.1 Dolby Digital/2.0 Stereo
Language: German with English Subtitles


About Film Movement
Celebrating its 15th year, Film Movement is a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City.  Film Movement has released more than 250 feature films and shorts culled from prestigious film festivals worldwide, and last year it had its first Academy Award-nominated film, Naji Abu Nowar's THEEB. Film Movement's theatrical distribution strategy has evolved to include promising American independent films, documentaries, and an even stronger slate of foreign art house titles.  Its catalog includes titles by directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Maren Ade, Jessica Hausner, Andrei Konchalovsky, Andrzej Wajda, Diane Kurys, Ciro Guerra and Melanie Laurent. In 2015, Film Movement launched its reissue label Film Movement Classics, featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on Blu-ray and DVD, including films by such noted directors as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway, Bille August, Marleen Gorris, Takeshi Kitano, Arturo Ripstein, and Ettore Scola. For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com.



Share/Save/Bookmark

Thursday, October 12, 2017

THE DEVIL'S HONEY -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle



Legendary Italian director Lucio Fulci would often turn his attention from the world of graphic gore (ZOMBIE, GATES OF HELL, THE BEYOND) and focus it on less horrific subjects, one being the "erotic thriller." 

With his 1986 film THE DEVIL'S HONEY, he ventures into territory harkening back to the days of watching steamy foreign sex movies on Cinemax After Dark and The Playboy Channel.

This humid, sometimes offhandedly perverse softcore sex drama tiptoes through hazy Freudian fever dreams while remaining, for me anyway, resolutely un-erotic.  Somehow, even Fulci's sex scenes are distastefully off-putting--but entertainingly so.


This is especially true when we find surgeon Dr. Wendell Simpson (Brett Halsey) in surreptitious dalliance with a two-bit hooker in a hotel room.  The scene is about as sexy as cleaning out a cat box, but it's a good indication of what a sad dead-end Simpson has reached in that regard.  Married to Carol, played by the beautiful Corinne Cléry, he can only get aroused by cheap, impersonal sex in degrading circumstances.

Meanwhile, a gorgeous but terminally-confused babe named Jessica (Blanca Marsillach) lusts madly after her emotionally-cool boyfriend Johnny (Stefano Madia) yet feigns disinterest until he blows his saxophone up her skirt during a recording session or terrifies her with dangerous hijinks on a motorcycle. 

Then she's all over him, both inviting and then rebuffing his advances to suit some weird mental sex thing that only Johnny understands.  In short, she's pretty messed up.



Fulci smashes Simpson and Jessica together when Johnny is seriously injured and dies on the operating table after the not-so-good doctor, dazed and heartbroken from a bitter divorce decree by his jealous, unsatisfied wife, botches the operation.  An inconsolable Jessica blames him for Johnny's death, vows revenge, kidnaps him, and terrorizes him for days in a seaside villa as he lies helplessly chained to the wall.

While this sounds like a set-up for a bit of the old torture porn, there's very little here that deviates from similar "erotic thriller" stuff we've seen before and, while mildly diverting, doesn't really get interesting until the sexually perverse nature of their situation begins to effect both Jessica and Dr. Simpson in ways that neither could have foreseen.  (End of story recap lest it get too spoilery.)

Halsey, whom I recall fondly as one of the two college kids killed by the Gill Man in REVENGE 0F THE CREATURE and the human-insect monster in RETURN OF THE FLY, underplays it all nicely and allows his inherent acting skills to carry each scene.  Blanca Marsillach, wildly attractive as she stalks the place stark naked like an angry cat, has less skill but lots of camera presence.
 

Fulci directs them with his usual competent and sometimes imaginative style which, to me, is really only interesting because I know that it's him doing it. A sorta-kinda sex scene between the two antagonists is noteworthy because of the ironic way it harkens back to earlier scenes of the two going at it with others.  For the most part, "sex" in Fulci's world isn't all that sexy unless naked Corinne Cléry is involved, and even then we don't get to finish.

The Blu-ray from Severin Films has a full bonus menu which includes engaging interviews with Brett Halsey, Corinne Cléry, producer Vincenzo Salviani, composer Claudio Natilli, and Fulci author Stephen Thrower. There's also a trailer, alternate opening, and audio essay by Fulci author Troy Howarth. The mono 2.0 soundtrack is in both English and Italian with English subtitles.

THE DEVIL'S HONEY is one of those sleazy softcore sex thrillers that play up the seamy side of things in a big way, resulting in a kind of curdled eroticism that's more unpleasant than appealing.  Which, for the purposes of this story, is fine, if you like your romance a little on the demented side.

Buy it at Severin Films






Share/Save/Bookmark

Olive Films Announces October 2017 DVD & Blu-ray Releases (Includes "Return of the Ape Man", "Vampire's Ghost")



Olive Films is proud to announce the following October 2017 releases:

Flipper Season 3
Rock-A-Doodle
Stay Hungry
The Miracle Worker
The Madness Of King George
S.O.S. Tidal Wave
The Vampire’s Ghost
Return Of The Ape Man



FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

FLIPPER SEASON 3        DVD     
CAT:                 OF1372
UPC:       887090137218
SRP:                 $34.95

FLIPPER SEASON 3        BD       
CAT:                 OF1373
UPC:       887090137317
SRP:                 $39.95
FLIPPER SEASON 3
BRIAN KELLY
(Around the World Under the Sea, TV’s Straightaway, TV’s 21 Beacon Street)
LUKE HALPIN
(Island of the Lost, Shock Waves, Nobody’s Perfekt)
TOMMY NORDEN
(Five Miles to Midnight, TV’s Search for Tomorrow, TV’s Naked City)

Flipper, created by Ricou Browning and Jack Cowden and shepherded to the small screen by Ivan Tors, the veteran producer of the TV classics Sea Hunt, Science Fiction Theatre and Daktari, featured one of the catchiest theme songs (written by William “By” Dunham and Henry Vars) ever composed for television.

YEAR: 1966 -1967
GENRE: DRAMA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME:  728 mins
RATING: N/R
VIDEO: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; Color
AUDIO: MONO


No one you see, is smarter than he! They call him Flipper …

The classic TV series Flipper, starring Brian Kelly (Around the World Under the Sea) as Porter Ricks, Chief Warden and Park Ranger at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve, comes to DVD and Blu-ray in a beautiful new presentation that captures the pristine aquatic Florida backdrop in all its glory. Ricks, along with his two young sons Sandy (Luke Halpin, Island of the Lost) and Bud (Tommy Norden, Five Miles to Midnight) share weekly adventures aided by Flipper, their friend and pet, a highly intellectual and daring dolphin adept at protecting the preserve and sleuthing out unsavory characters.

Throughout its three-season run (1964 through 1967), Flipper featured a galaxy of guest stars including Burt Reynolds (Shark), John Kerr (South Pacific), Jessica Walter (Play Misty for Me), Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now), Barbara Feldon (TV’s Get Smart), David Soul (TV’s Starsky and Hutch), Bo Svenson (Heartbreak Ridge), Huntz Hall (The Bowery Boys), Daniel J. Travanti (TV’s Hill Street Blues), Marshall Thompson (It! The Terror from Beyond Space), Julie Sommars (TV’s Matlock), Pat Henning (On the Waterfront), Denise Nickerson (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory), John Castle (Blow-Up), Michael Conrad (TV’s Hill Street Blues), Aline Towne (The Invisible Monster), John Abbott (Gigi), Jon Cypher (TV’s Major Dad), Karen Steele (Marty), Andy Devine (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance), Wende Wagner (Rosemary’s Baby), Jean-Pierre Aumont (Day for Night), and Gloria DeHaven (Summer Stock).
 


FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

ROCK-A-DOODLE           DVD     
CAT:                 OF1358
UPC:       887090135818
SRP:                 $24.95

ROCK-A-DOODLE           BD       
CAT:                 OF1359
UPC:       887090135917
SRP:                 $29.95

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER
(The Sound of Music, Beginners, The Man Who Would Be King)
GLEN CAMPBELL
(True Grit, Norwood, The Cool Ones)
PHIL HARRIS
(The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Aristocats)
EDDIE DEEZEN
(Zapped, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Grease)
SANDY DUNCAN
(Star Spangled Girl, The Fox and the Hound, The Million Dollar Duck)
ELLEN GREENE
(Little Shop of Horrors, I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can, Leon: The Professional)
DEE WALLACE
(E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Howling, Cujo)
CHARLES NELSON REILLY
(Cannonball Run II, Body Slam, TV’s The Ghost & Mrs. Muir)

Directed by
DON BLUTH
(An American Tail, Anastasia, The Land Before Time)

From director Don Bluth, the creative force behind the animated features An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Secret of NIMH and Anastasia, comes the song-packed, hip-swiveling, heart-tugging Rock-A-Doodle featuring the voice talents of Glen Campbell, Christopher Plummer and Sandy Duncan.

YEAR: 1991
GENRE: ANIMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 74 mins
RATING: G
VIDEO: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; COLOR
AUDIO: STEREO


Chanticleer’s (Glen Campbell, True Grit) a rooster who’s quite literally the cock of the walk. His ability to wake the sun with his morning crow is the envy of all. With one exception. The Grand Duke of Owls (voiced by Christopher Plummer, The Sound of Music) is one very foul fowl. Bent on destroying Chanticleer, the jealous Duke devises a plan so that it appears that the sun can rise on its own without Chanticleer’s help. Shunned by the farm animals whose reaction is swift and pitiless, Chanticleer heads to the big city to start a new life, leaving the farm on the edge of disaster.

With his career on the rise, thanks to his manager Pinky Fox (Sorrell Booke, TV’s The Dukes of Hazzard) with an assist from the duplicitous Grand Duke, Chanticleer’s future is looking golden.  But he’ll soon realize that family, friends and home mean more than fleeting fame in the touching and comic animated film for the entire family, Rock-A-Doodle.

Rounding out the Rock-A-Doodle voice talent cast are Sandy Duncan (The Fox and the Hound) as Peepers, Eddie Deezen (1941) as Snipes, Ellen Greene (Little Shop of Horrors) as Goldie, Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) as Dory, Charles Nelson Reilly (Cannonball Run II) as Hunch and Phil Harris (The Jungle Book) as Patou.



FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

STAY HUNGRY   DVD     
CAT:                 OF1369
UPC:       887090136914
SRP:                 $24.95
 
STAY HUNGRY   BD
       
CAT:                 OF1370
UPC:       887090137010
SRP:                 $29.95

JEFF BRIDGES
(Hell or High Water, The Last Picture Show, TRON)
SALLY FIELD
(Places in the Heart, Norma Rae, Not Without My Daughter)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
(The Terminator, True Lies, Predator)
ED BEGLEYJR.
(Cat People, Goin’ South, TV’s St. Elsewhere)
SCATMAN CROTHERS
(The Shining, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Silver Streak)

Directed by
BOB RAFELSON
(Five Easy Pieces, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The King of Marvin Gardens)

Stay Hungry features a stellar cast of award-winning actors including Jeff Bridges (Academy Award for Best Actor, Crazy Heart – 2010), Sally Field (Academy Award for Best Actress, Norma Rae – 1980, Places in the Heart – 1985) and Arnold Swarzenegger (Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture, Stay Hungry – 1977).

YEAR: 1976
GENRE: COMEDY/DRAMA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 102 mins
RATING: R
VIDEO: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; COLOR
AUDIO: MONO


You meet the most amazing people at the gym. The rich, aimless Craig Blake (Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water) is about to find that out firsthand in the comedy-drama Stay Hungry.

Director Bob Rafelson (Five Easy Pieces) effortlessly guides his cast through a plot that involves shady business dealings, romance and body building when Craig, the hapless hero of the piece, becomes smitten with Mary Tate Farnsworth (Sally Field, Places in the Heart), the free-spirited receptionist at a tiny gym he’s been tasked with observing for slimy con man Jabo (Joe Spinell, The Godfather: Part II), who has a penchant for land grabs. And Jabo has his sights set on demolishing the gym to make way for new high-rise construction.

What begins as an errant errand soon turns into the adventure of a lifetime for Craig, Mary Tate and Joe Santo, a Mr. Universe-title-seeking body builder and bluegrass fiddler portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Flexing his acting muscles in his first sustained screen role (and using his actual voice), Mr. Schwarzenegger, for his efforts, would take home a Golden Globe for “Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture” in 1977.



FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

THE MIRACLE WORKER  DVD          
CAT:                 OF1380
UPC:       887090138017
SRP:                 $19.95

THE MIRACLE WORKER  BD         
CAT:                 OF1381
UPC:       887090138116
SRP:                 $29.95

ANNE BANCROFT
(The Graduate, The Elephant Man, Heartbreakers)
PATTY DUKE
(Valley of the Dolls, Billie, TV’s The Patty Duke Show)
VICTOR JORY
(Gone with the Wind, Papillon, The Man from the Alamo)
ANDREW PRINE
(Chisum, Kiss Her Goodbye, Advance to the Rear)
INGA SWENSON
(Advise & Consent, The Betsy, TV’s Benson)
KATHLEEN COMEGYS
(Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell, The First Time, Birth of a Baby

Directed by
ARTHUR PENN (Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man, Alice’s Restaurant)

The Miracle Worker’s Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke would take home Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Academy Awards for their performances in Arthur Penn’s (himself a three-time Academy Award nominee for Best Director, The Miracle Worker – 1963, Bonnie and Clyde – 1968, Alice’s Restaurant – 1970) screen adaptation.

YEAR: 1962
GENRE: DRAMA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 106 mins
RATING: N/R
VIDEO: 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W
AUDIO: MONO

The powerhouse performances of Anne Bancroft (The Graduate) and Patty Duke (Valley of the Dolls) are the heart and soul of director Arthur Penn’s (Bonnie and Clyde) screen adaptation of The Miracle Worker. Working on familiar ground (having directed Bancroft and Duke in the Broadway play), Penn would find a fresh approach in transitioning the story of Helen Keller from stage to screen by opening up the action with on-location shooting, unique camera work by Ernest Caparros (TV’s Naked City), razor sharp editing by Aram Avakian (Lilith) and several bravura set pieces.

The young Helen, blind and deaf since infancy as a result of scarlet fever, becomes prone to violent outbursts that grow more frequent and intense, resulting in her parents, Captain Arthur Keller (Victor Jory, Gone with the Wind) and Kate Keller (Inga Swenson, Advise & Consent), reaching out to a school for the blind for help. That help arrives in the form of Anne Sullivan, a teacher whose personal struggles have provided her with the tools to assist Helen. And so begins a battle of wills between the obstinate Helen and the equally stubborn Anne (a breakfast scene between the two becomes a virtual wrestling match). Through sheer willpower and compassion, the walls separating Helen from the outside world begin to crumble, as student and teacher forge a connection.

The Miracle Worker is directed by Arthur Penn, written for the screen by William Gibson (based upon his stage play), produced by Fred Coe and features music by two-time Academy Award nominee Laurence Rosenthal (Best Score, Becket – 1965; Best Musical Adaptation, Man of La Mancha – 1974).



FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!
US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE            DVD     
CAT:                 OF1384
UPC:       887090138413
SRP:                 $24.95

THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE            BD       
CAT:                 OF1385
UPC:       887090138512
SRP:                 $29.95

NIGEL HAWTHORNE
(Amistad, Demolition Man, The Object of My Affection)
HELEN MIRREN
(The Queen, The Debt, Trumbo)
IAN HOLM
(Another Woman, Time Bandits, Brazil)
RUPERT EVERETT
(My Best Friend’s Wedding, Dance with a Stranger, The Comfort of Strangers)
RUPERT GRAVES
(TV’s Sherlock, Death at a Funeral, Damage)
AMANDA DONOHOE
(The Lair of the White Worm, Liar Liar, One Night Stand)

Directed by
NICHOLAS HYTNER
(The Crucible, The Object of My Affection, The History Boys)

Nicholas Hytner (The Crucible) made his film directing debut with The Madness of King George which would garner four 1995 Academy Award nominations including Best Actor (Nigel Hawthorne), Best Supporting Actress (Helen Mirren), Best Writing Adaptation (Alan Bennett), with Ken Adam and Carolyn Scott taking home awards for Best Art Direction.

YEAR: 1994
GENRE: DRAMA
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 111 mins
RATING: PG-13
VIDEO: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; COLOR
AUDIO: STEREO

Based on the true story of the deteriorating mental health of Britain’s King George III, The Madness of King George is historical drama at its entertaining best. With a cast of British acting royalty led by Nigel Hawthorne (Amistad) as the “Mad King”, George III, the film features Helen Mirren (The Queen) as Queen Charlotte, the King’s wife and staunchest supporter; Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding) as George, eldest son and the Prince of Wales; Ian Holm (Time Bandits) as the caring Dr. Willis whose radical treatment of mental disorders is viewed with skepticism by the royals; Rupert Graves (TV’s Sherlock) as Captain Greville, the King’s equerry; and Amanda Donohoe (The Lair of the White Worm) as Lady Pembroke, attendant to the Queen.

The Madness of King George is directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Crucible), written by Alan Bennett (based on his stage play The Madness of George III), photographed by Andrew Dunn (Precious, Gosford Park) and features a selection of classical compositions by George Frideric Handel, adapted and arranged by George Fenton (Dangerous Liaisons, The Crucible).



FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!
US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

S.O.S. TIDAL WAVE        DVD     
CAT:                 OF1374
UPC:       887090137416
SRP:                 $19.95

S.O.S. TIDAL WAVE        BD       
CAT:                 OF1375
UPC:       887090137515
SRP:                 $24.95
S.O.S. TIDAL WAVE
RALPH BYRD
(Jungle Book, A Yank in the R.A.F., Desperate Cargo)
GEORGE BARBIER
(Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Return of Frank James)
KAY SUTTON
(Carefree, Lawless Valley, Li’l Abner)
FRANK JENKS
His Girl Friday, Christmas in Connecticut, Woman on the Run)
MARC LAWRENCE
(Flame of Barbary Coast, Marathon Man, From Dusk Till Dawn)
DOROTHY LEE
(Roar of the Press, Too Many Blondes, The Curtain Falls)
FERRIS TAYLOR
(A Man Betrayed, Magnificent Doll, Bringing Up Father)

Directed by
JOHN H. AUER (The Eternal Sea, Johnny Trouble, Hell’s Half Acre)

Every film deserves a great film score, and six-time Academy Award®-nominee Cy Feuer (Cabaret, Ice-Capades, Hit Parade of 1941, She Married a Cop, Storm Over Bengal, Mercy Island – shared with Walter Scharf) was one of a team of musical talent working behind the scenes on S.O.S. Tidal Wave.


YEAR: 1939
GENRE: ADVENTURE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 62 mins
RATING: N/R
VIDEO: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W
AUDIO: MONO

S.O.S. Tidal Wave is both a political thriller and one of the earliest examples of the disaster film genre.  The corrupt Clifford Farrow (Ferris Taylor, A Man Betrayed), his sights set on winning the New York City mayoral race with backing from the nefarious political boss Melvin Sutter (Marc Lawrence, Flame of Barbary Coast), sees the world as his oyster.

That’s until stalwart television journalist Jeff Shannon (Ralph Byrd, Jungle Book) unmasks a system that would place the unscrupulous and unqualified Farrow into power. S.O.S. Tidal Wave remains true to its crime thriller roots until a very surprising twist. The devious Farrow and Sutter, using stock horror film footage of a tsunami-like tidal wave, try to convince an unsuspecting public that the killer wave is about to hit New York, thereby throwing voters into a War of the Worlds-type panic. Will Jeff be able to convince the public of this hoax in time to save the election?



FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!
US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

THE VAMPIRE’S GHOST  DVD          
CAT:                 OF1376
UPC:       887090137614
SRP:                 $19.95

THE VAMPIRE’S GHOST  BD          
CAT:                 OF1377
UPC:       887090137713
SRP:                 $24.95

JOHN ABBOTT
(Gigi, Mrs. Miniver, Gambit)
CHARLES GORDON
(Captain Tugboat Annie, Swamp Fire, Road to Alcatraz)
PEGGY STEWART
(The Runaways, That’s My Boy, Beyond Evil)
GRANT WITHERS
(Rio Grande, Fort Apache, My Darling Clementine)
ADELE MARA
(Sands of Iwo Jima, Wake of the Red Witch, You Were Never Lovelier)
EMMETT VOGAN
(The Mummy’s Tomb, The Mummy’s Ghost, San Quentin)

Directed by
LESLEY SELANDER
(The Catman of Paris, Dragonfly Squadron, Brothers in the Saddle)

John Abbott (born John Albert Chamberlain Kefford) would lend his substantial British charm to the role of Webb Fallon, the suave and sophisticated nosferatu in The Vampire’s Ghost.

YEAR: 1945
GENRE: HORROR
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 59 mins
RATING: N/R
VIDEO: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W
AUDIO: MONO

Vampires and voodoo and priests, oh my!

The Vampire’s Ghost, starring John Abbott (Gigi), Charles Gordon (Road to Alcatraz), Grant Withers (Rio Grande) and Peggy Stewart (The Runaways), grabs the viewer by the throat and doesn’t let go.

In the African port town of Bakunda, the undead are restless. Webb Fallon (Abbott), having fallen under the curse of the vampire, is unable to find eternal peace. With an unquenchable thirst for blood, Fallon wanders the vast landscape in search of sustenance and the local missionary Father Gilchrist (Withers), along with friends Roy Hendrick (Gordon) and Julie Vance (Stewart) could very well be his next … victims!

Directed by Lesley Selander (Dragonfly Squadron) and written by John K. Butler (Drums Across the River) and Leigh Brackett (The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye) based on an original story by Brackett, The Vampire’s Ghost is the quintessential 1940s horror film – when an ominous shadow and a widened eye conveyed all one needed to know of the horror to come. 



FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY!
US+CANADA
PREBOOK:      10/17/17
STREET:         10/31/17

RETURN OF THE APE MAN  DVD
CAT:                 OF1378
UPC:       887090137812
SRP:                 $19.95

RETURN OF THE APE MAN  BD
CAT:                 OF1379
UPC:       887090137911
SRP:                 $24.95

BELA LUGOSI
(Dracula, Voodoo Man, The Ape Man)
JOHN CARRADINE
(Voodoo Man, Blood and Sand, The Grapes of Wrath)
GEORGE ZUCCO
(Dead Men Walk, Voodoo Man, The Black Raven)
FRANK MORAN
(The Corpse Vanishes, Sullivan’s Travels, The Palm Beach Story)
MARY CURRIER
(Joan of Arc, Angel in Exile, The Valley of Decision)

Directed by
PHILIP ROSEN
(Murder by Invitation, Captain Tugboat Annie, It Could Happen To You!)

Bela Lugosi, no stranger to the world of mad scientists and demented doctors (Voodoo Man, The Ape Man, The Raven, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat) would once again entertain his legions of fans with his performance as Professor Dexter in Return of the Ape Man.

YEAR: 1944
GENRE: HORROR
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 61 mins
RATING: N/R
VIDEO: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; B&W
AUDIO: MONO


The titular ape man (incarnated by Frank Moran, The Corpse Vanishes, and fleetingly by George Zucco, Voodoo Man) is featured alongside Bela Lugosi (Dracula), John Carradine (Voodoo Man) and Mary Currier (Joan of Arc) in the fright fest Return of the Ape Man.

Directed by Philip Rosen (Murder by Invitation), Return of the Ape Man stars Lugosi as Professor Dexter, the doctor who put the mad in mad scientist. On the verge of restoring a recently unearthed simian from its frozen sleep, Dexter’s plans for the apesicle will have chilling consequences when he sets about transplanting a human brain into his frozen find. With unwitting (and unwilling) help from fellow scientist Professor Gilmore (Carradine), Dexter hopes to unravel the mystery of the “missing link.”

Return of the Ape Man also features Michael Ames (From Hell It Came), Judith Gibson (Bluebeard), Ed Chandler (The Ghost and the Guest) and Ernie Adams (Invisible Ghost).





Share/Save/Bookmark