"BKO: Bangkok Knockout" Arriving On Blu-ray and DVD August 30

FROM THE DIRECTOR AND FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER OF BORN TO FIGHT AND THE ONG BAK FRANCHISE -- "BKO: BANGKOK KNOCKOUT"

Only The Strong Will Survive In The Action-Packed Thriller Kicking Its Way To Blu-ray Disc And DVD August 30 From Magnolia Home Entertainment

 “The action is extreme, extremely dangerous and extremely fun.” - Twitch Film


When a group of old friends come together they end up doing more then talking about the past in BKO: Bangkok Knockout, arriving on Blu-ray Disc and DVD August 30 from Magnolia Home Entertainment. From Director and Fight Choreographer, Panna Rittikrai (Ong Bak Franchise, Born To Fight), Thai action cinema legend, action superstar and mentor to many of today’s top martial arts legends including Tony Ja (Ong Bak), Dan Chupong (Dynamite Warrior) and Jija Yanin (Chocolate), BKO: Bangkok Knockout takes fight sequences to a whole new level.

A group of ex-marital arts students attend a reunion party to reminisce about their old ‘fight club,’ but this reunion is not all fun and games when some of the members are kidnapped by a group of deadly assassins, leaving the remaining members to save their friends in the ultimate battle for survival. Packed with death-defying action and highlighting a range of martial arts disciplines from Muay Thai to Capoeira, Kung Fu to Tai Chi, the BKO: Bangkok Knockout Blu-ray Disc and DVD features explosive bonus materials including a behind-the-scenes featurette and an international trailer, and will be available for the suggested retail price of $29.98 and $26.98, respectively.

Synopsis

A group of ex-marital arts students attend a reunion party to reminisce about their old ‘fight club’ but things go array when a bomb is set off and everyone is left unconscious. When everyone wakes up only to realize that some of their friends have been kidnapped by a group of assassins who are coming after them next.  Now the only way to survive is to fight their way out.

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"BKO: Bangkok Knockout" Arriving On Blu-ray and DVD August 30

MEDIUM RAW: NIGHT OF THE WOLF -- DVD review by porfle

I'd rather a movie be a total failure than to show a lot of potential and then disappoint.  But for a low-budget feature made by fledgling filmmakers, MEDIUM RAW: NIGHT OF THE WOLF (2010) is just good enough to make its shortcomings all the more frustrating.

Writer-director Andrew Cymek's visual talents are apparent from the start, as he displays a keen cinematic eye that makes this movie a real morbid pleasure to look at.  Dark, moody, and oppressively atmospheric, the look of the film matches its foreboding premise of a mysterious killer known as "The Big Bad Wolf" who has already kidnapped fourteen young girls who were never seen again.  His calling card is the scrawled question: "Are you the woodcutter?"

Johnny (Cymek) watches his own sister snatched away and is still haunted by the sight when, years later, he's the detective in charge of the case when the Wolf belatedly reappears.  Cymek sort of resembles an "NYPD Blue"-era Ricky Schroeder and is good at conveying a deep melancholy in the role.  When he and his partner Elliot (John Rhys-Davies in little more than a cameo role) track down and capture the killer, it's spooky and harrowing enough to bode well for the rest of the movie.



Things keep looking up as we enter the insane asylum where the Wolf, otherwise known as Harold Grierson (Greg Dunham), will be stowed away under heavy guard along with a host of other intensely dangerous crazies including the cannibalistic Mabel (Sandi Ross), a human gorilla named Benny who hates the color red (the late Andrew Martin of pro-wrestling fame), and giggling toe-freak Oliver (Shawn Lawrence).  This place is like Hannibal Lecter's dungeon in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS only more so, with set design that might've been conceived by H.P. Lovecraft.  The fact that the whole thing was done on the cheap in the basement of a church is extremely impressive.

Johnny's estranged wife Jamie (Cymek's real-life spouse Brigitte Kingsley) is an idealistic psychiatrist who thinks she can get through to these nuts but is proven wrong when there's a power failure and all the cell doors spring open.  Johnny, who's there to kill Grierson to avenge his sister, finds himself having to protect all the trapped civilians from a bunch of escaped psychos, including a little girl named Sabrina (Kristina Morgan) and her grandmother. (Naturally, Sabrina wears a little red riding hood in case we miss the connection.)

With a set-up like this, you'd think that we're in for a grueling ordeal of terror, right?  Wrong.  The trouble is, the bad guys in this equation just aren't very scary, and Cymek too often goes for action and humor when what we really want is flat-out horror.  Benny's big breakout is more like an episode of "The Hulk" than anything else as he stomps around roaring and throwing people, while toe-obsessed Oliver is just plain funny.

A lengthy setpiece featuring a captive Jamie in the kitchen with Mabel, who's delightedly whipping up a mess of human vittles, is entertaining but played too much for laughs--some of Jamie's mortified "takes" are almost Zucker-level stuff.  Several other characters seem to be there solely for comic relief as well, and even Grierson is pretty ineffectual as a Lecter-like boogeyman.



After everybody's done running around in the dark eluding the bad guys for awhile, the action comes to an old-school cliffhanger climax with Jamie trapped in a cage that's slowly sinking into a vat of water while Johnny battles the Wolf.  It's right about this time that we begin to realize how hokey-looking that metal wolf suit really is, which doesn't help.  Still, the sequence does generate some suspense even though we've given up on "scary" for some time now.  A final reference to Little Red Riding Hood comes off pretty well, too.

What makes this film worth watching, more than anything else, are the visuals.  The photography is beautiful, with deep blacks highlighted by imaginative lighting effects in almost every shot and consistently interesting direction by Cymek.  I did find the chapter titles distracting and unnecessary (after the power goes off, we really don't need the words "Night of the Wolf" to tell us what's about to happen), and the abrupt switches between serious and comic give the film an inconsistent tone.

As Dr. Parker, the clearly unhinged director of the asylum, William B. Davis gives the best performance I've seen from him since he was puffing coffin nails on "The X-Files."  He really gets into the role and proves once and for all what a fine actor he is.  Standouts also include Sandi Ross as Mabel and Shawn Lawrence as Oliver, with pro wrestler Jason Reso (WWE's "Christian Cage") likable as Johnny's parter Pete and child actress Kristina Miller holding her own as Sabrina.  As Jamie, Brigitte Kingsley is okay until called upon to emote, but this matters little in light of the fact that she happens to be drop-dead gorgeous.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and Engish subtitles.  Extras include a thoughtful commentary by Andrew Cymek, deleted and extended scenes, an alternate ending, and a trailer.

MEDIUM RAW: NIGHT OF THE WOLF works best when it's dead serious, and the fever-dream visuals are allowed to wend their way into our imaginations.  The more pedestrian action that takes place within this setting didn't do that much for me, but what these low-budget filmmakers have managed to accomplish on an aesthetic level is a thrill unto itself.


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MEDIUM RAW: NIGHT OF THE WOLF -- DVD review by porfle

THE CLINIC -- DVD review by porfle

The title and box cover may conjure up images of medical mayhem a la DR. GIGGLES or some Lovecraft-inspired hospital horror, but THE CLINIC (2010) is something different altogether.  More of a blood-tinged thriller than a gory body count flick, this Australian production relies more on mystery, suspense, and some kooky plot twists to hold our attention.

We know we're in for a well-photographed and competently directed film when it opens with a beautiful helicopter shot descending upon a single car traveling down a desert highway.  The very pregnant Beth (Tabrett Bethell) and her fiance' Cameron (Andy Whitfield, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND) are headed for her mother's house for Christmas when they decide to spend the night in an isolated motel. 

But when Cameron returns to their room after a food run, Beth has vanished without a trace.  The creepy hotel manager Hank (Boris Brkic) claims ignorance, and when a frustrated Cameron attacks him the local cop (Marshall Napier) slaps on the cuffs.  So it's up to Cameron to somehow escape from custody and search for his missing bride-to-be.



Meanwhile, Beth wakes up naked in a bathtub, with a fresh Cesarean scar and no baby.  This is where THE CLINIC goes "Twilight Zone" and becomes a slowly-unfolding mystery that gets more inexplicable at every turn.  Wandering through the deserted slaughterhouse, Beth encounters other women who share her predicament, including Veronica (Freya Stafford), a doctor, and Ivy (Clare Bowen), whose decision whether or not to get an abortion seems to have been made for her.  Alison (Sophie Lowe) remains silent until her terrified screams reveal that there's a killer stalking them.

There's a strong emotional element to the story as the women discover their babies locked in cages, but can neither get to them nor discern which of them is theirs.  Color-coded tags on the infants' wrists correspond to ones which have been surgically implanted in the mothers' bodies, a fact that brings about most of the bloody mayhem to follow.  As all this unfolds, we're given teasing glimpses of shadowy observers impassively watching it all via closed-circuit cameras.

I don't really want to reveal much more than that, but the identity of their ruthless attacker and the motives behind it all are pretty unsettling.  Suspense builds as the women run for their lives while trying to find out what's going on and how they got there.  I was reminded of Dean Koontz, whose novels often involve a female lead who finds herself in a maddeningly inexplicable life-or-death situation fraught with ever-increasing peril. 



The finale involves a couple of plot twists that some viewers may find hard to swallow.  This didn't really bother me--I was sufficiently swept along with it all not to get hung up on an improbability or two.  In fact, I found the over-the-top stuff kind of cathartic after the long build-up, with the big reveal coming as an adequate payoff to the mystery.  After the final tragedy of these events hits home, there's a bittersweet coda to the story that's rare in movies such as this, ending the film not on a total downer but on a wistful note that's rather moving.

Director James Rabbitts' screenplay is simple but effective, with some clever touches here and there.  The acting is fine--Bethell carries the film with a strong, emotional performance and gets ample support from the rest of the cast, particularly Freya Stafford as Veronica and Liz Alexander as the loathesome Ms. Shepard.  A subtle, sinewy musical score compliments the action.

The DVD from Image Entertainment is in 2.35:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  The sole extra is the film's trailer.

THE CLINIC is a harrowing, adult survival tale that, while somewhat hokey at times, doesn't depend on gory, spectacular kills to thrill and titillate its audience.  In fact, you may actually find yourself not wanting the characters to get killed.  Crazy, huh?


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THE CLINIC -- DVD review by porfle

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW 50TH ANNIVERSARY: FAN FAVORITES on DVD September 20th from Image Entertainment

“Oh, Rob!” -- Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of a true American TV classic!

On September 20, Image Entertainment will release twenty classic episodes of the beloved ‘60s television sitcom with The Dick Van Dyke Show 50th Anniversary Edition: Fan Favorites.  These special selections from the iconic, groundbreaking comedy series will be available in their entirety on 5 DVDs for an MSRP of $24.98.  In addition, each set contains a collectible lenticular card, spotlighting a memorable scene from a classic episode.  Pre-book is August 23rd.

A winner of 15 Emmy® Awards – including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Comedy – “The Dick Van Dyke Show” has remained in viewers’ affections for five decades.  With a terrific cast that includes Dick Van Dyke (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, “Diagnosis Murder”), Mary Tyler Moore (“Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Ordinary People), Rose Marie (“Alan Richter Controls the Universe”) and Morey Amsterdam (“Love, American Style”) it is still a popular hit in reruns on stations like Nick at Nite and TV Land.

Episodes:
The Sick Boy and the Sitter, Big Max Calvada, Coast to Coast Big Mouth, Dear Sally Rogers, Where Did I Come From?, That's My Boy??, It May Look Like a Walnut!, October Eve, 100 Terrible Hours, Uhny Uftz, Never Bathe on Saturday, The Secret Life of Buddy and Sally, Oh How We Met the Night That We Danced, My Blonde-Haired Brunette, 4½, The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail, What's in a Middle Name?, The Curious Thing About Women, All About Eavesdropping, One Angry Man.

The Dick Van Dyke Show 50th Anniversary Edition: Fan Favorites also includes the following special features: 
Original Pilot Episode
Interviews with Cast and Producers
Behind-the -scenes featurette
Rare rehearsal footage
Emmy® Award telecast with clips honoring show

The conundrums of a married and working life do not change, nor does the appeal of brilliant comedic writing and acting.  Always relevant and funny, these fan favorites will encourage you to revisit old friends:  as well as get new viewers to visit the Petrie household!

The Dick Van Dyke Show 50th Anniversary Edition: Fan Favorites DVD Collection
Genre:             Comedy, Television, 60s, Sitcom
Rating:             Not Rated
Languages:      English 
Format:           1.33.1
Audio:             Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles:          N/A
SRP:               $24.98
Street Date:     September 20, 2011
Pre-Book:       August 23, 2011
Length:            500 minutes
UPC :               014381734621
Cat#:               ID7346PBDVD

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THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW 50TH ANNIVERSARY: FAN FAVORITES on DVD September 20th from Image Entertainment

DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT -- DVD review by porfle

In the tradition of HBO's CAST A DEADLY SPELL, in which Fred Ward played an old-school private eye in a world filled with monsters and the supernatural, DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT (2010) gives us Brandon Routh as a monster-hunting P.I. in a New Orleans that's overrun with vampires, werewolves, and zombies. 

Currently working as a sleazy bedroom dick, Routh's Dylan Dog gets drawn back into his former life when an antiques smuggler is killed by a werewolf.  According to the victim's daughter, Elizabeth (Anita Briem), the only item missing from his collection is the Heart of Belial, a silver cross containing a vial of monster blood which, injected into one of the undead, will create an unstoppable beast under the control of the one who wields the artifact. 

Dylan's return to the dark underworld (which, in fact, sometimes resembles UNDERWORLD with all its vampires and werewolves, not to mention BLADE) reacquaints him with old fiends and puts him in the middle of an impending war between the wolves and the vamps.  His reluctant partner Marcus (Sam Huntington, NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE) finds out about zombies the hard way--by becoming one.  A lot of the film's lowbrow humor stems from Marcus' difficult transition from living to undead, especially when he discovers that a zombie's diet consists mainly of maggots and worms.  In one scene, he seeks help from a support group known as C.O.L.D. (Coalition of Living Dead).



The film starts out with a superficial bad-comic-book air that threatens to get tiresome pretty quick.  Fortunately, once Dylan settles back into his old ways and starts taking on various denizens of the night in a succession of encounters both physical and verbal (and armed with wooden-tipped bullets and silver knuckledusters), things get interesting enough to make the story worth sticking out to the end.  It's all still a bit on the lightweight side and nowhere near as good as its influences (a Fred Ward type is sorely missed in the lead role) yet the filmmakers manage to instill everything with a fair amount of enthusiasm and imagination. 

Routh acquits himself adequately as the manly action hero of the story, but as an actor he's no Ed Norton.  Classing things up a bit is Peter Stormare (FARGO) as Dylan's old friend Gabriel, head of a werewolf clan whose members are being killed off by an unknown attacker.  Taye Diggs also comes off pretty well as vampire playa Vargas, owner of a nightclub where vamp blood is sold to humans as a drug.  Vargas' ambition to become king of the vampires makes him a formidable opponent for Dylan.  Olympic weightlifter and WWF wrestler Kurt Angle plays beefy werewolf Wolfgang with a sufficient amount of beef.



Old-style monster fans will be pleased to find a minimum of CGI in evidence here.  Digital trickery is used mainly in transitions from human to monster or from monster to even worse monster, after which we get a variety of nicely-executed makeups and other practical effects including a couple of full-body suits.  Most of the digital bells-and-whistles are saved for the big finale (in which the Heart of Belial is finally used to create the super-monstrosity we've all been waiting for) although even here, the SPFX don't go as far overboard as they might have. 

The DVD from 20th-Century Fox Home Entertainment is in 2:35.1 widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and English and Spanish subtitles.  There are no extras. 

The main reason I kind of liked DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT is that it isn't loaded with CGI werewolves that look like big cartoony coyotes and emo-teen vampires that sparkle.  This is old-fashioned Halloween-type monster stuff, and, while not all that memorable, it'll do until something better comes along.  Still, the set-up for a sequel at the end doesn't exactly have me on pins and needles.



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DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT -- DVD review by porfle

CHROMESKULL: LAID TO REST 2 on Unrated Blu-ray and DVD September 20th from Image Entertainment

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT BRINGS BACK THE MAN IN THE CHROME MASK!


"CHROMESKULL: LAID TO REST 2"


Looking Sharp on Unrated Blu-ray™ and DVD September 20th

Chatsworth, CA – There’s a saying among horror fans: “You can’t keep a good slasher down!” And for fans of the 2009 cult hit Laid To Rest, the wait is over! On September 20, ChromeSkull – the chrome face-plated, technologically saavy homicidal maniac – returns in ChromeSkull: Laid To Rest 2 on Blu-ray™ and DVD from Image Entertainment. Starring Brian Austin Green (“Desperate Housewives”), Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do, The Poker Club), LTR 1 alum Thomas Dekker (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Danielle Harris (Halloween), Owain Yeoman (“The Mentalist”) and Gail O’Grady (“NYPD Blue,” “Hellcats”), with Nick Principe returning as ChromeSkull, the sequel is once again directed by award-winning director Robert Hall (Laid To Rest, “Fear Clinic,” Lightning Bug). ChromeSkull: Laid To Rest 2 will be available in unrated DVD and Blu-ray versions, as well as a rated DVD. SRP is a razor-thin $27.97 for the unrated and rated DVDs, and a sheer $29.97 for the Blu-ray™. Pre-book is August 23rd.

Following his triumphant premiere at the world famous Comic-Con show in San Diego last week, the maniac in the metal mask returns-and this time he's not alone. After his gruesome encounter with the girl with no name, ChromeSkull has to rely on his assistant Preston, (Green) to take care of business. With a growing taste for bloodlust, Preston slashes his way from one gory mess to another. Not to be outdone, ChromeSkull resurges with a massacre of his own that is nothing short of "jaw dropping insanity!" -Dread Central.

Mimi Michaels (The Ugly Truth, Gamer), Christopher Allen Nelson (Sin City, Star Trek) and Angelina Armani (Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star) also star in the bloodiest sequel you'll ever see. ChromeSkull: Laid to Rest 2 is directed by Robert Hall, who also co-wrote and executive produced, and produced by Chang Tseng and Kevin Bocarde. Brian Austin Green and Stephen Niver are co-producers.

Bonus features on ChromeSkull: Laid To Rest 2 Blu-ray and DVD include audio commentary with director Robert Hall, co-writer Kevin Bocarde, and star Brian Austin Green, “A Cut Above: Creating ChromeSkull” behind the scenes featurette, the “Jump To A Kill” function (available exclusively on the unrated Blu-ray™ and DVD) where viewers can jump directly to one of eight “kills,” deleted scenes, bloopers and the theatrical trailer.

About Image Entertainment:
Image Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: DISK ) is a leading independent licensee and distributor of entertainment programming in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 exclusive CD titles in domestic release and more than 450 programs internationally via sublicense agreements. For many of its titles, the Company has exclusive audio and broadcast rights, as well as digital download rights to over 2,100 video programs and approximately 400 audio titles containing more than 6,000 individual tracks. The Company is headquartered in Chatsworth , California . For more information about Image Entertainment, Inc., please go to www.image-entertainment.com.


ChromeSkull: Laid To Rest 2 Unrated Blu-ray
Genre:                        Horror, Feature Film
Rating:                        Unrated
Languages:                  English 
Format:                       1.78:1
Audio:                         DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles:                     English, Spanish
Year:                           2011
SRP :                           $27.97
Street Date:                 September 20, 2011
Pre-Book:                   August 23, 2011
Length:                        93 minutes
UPC :                           014381703450
Cat#:                           CRM7034BD

ChromeSkull: Laid To Rest 2 Unrated DVD
Genre:                        Horror, Feature Film
Rating:                        Unrated
Languages:                 English 
Format:                      Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:                        Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                     English, Spanish
Year:                          2011
SRP :                           $27.97
Street Date:                 September 20, 2011
Pre-Book:                   August 23, 2011
Length:                        93 minutes
UPC:                           014381703221
Cat#:                          CRM7032DVD

ChromeSkull: Laid To Rest 2 DVD
Genre:                        Horror, Feature Film
Rating:                        R for strong bloody violence, language and some nudity
Languages:                  English 
Format:                       Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                     English, Spanish
Year:                          2011
SRP :                           $27.97
Street Date:                September 20, 2011
Pre-Book:                  August 23, 2011
Length:                       91 minutes (approx.)
UPC#:                        014381732528
Cat#:                          CRM7325DVD

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Unrated DVD
Unrated Blu-Ray
DVD

CHROMESKULL: LAID TO REST 2 on Unrated Blu-ray and DVD September 20th from Image Entertainment

THE WALKING DEAD Special Edition on DVD, Blu-ray and Limited Edition Blu-ray Tin October 4th from Anchor Bay Entertainment

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT GIVES YOU A COLLECTION TO DIE FOR WITH THE OCTOBER 4 RELEASE OF AMC’S “THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 1- SPECIAL EDITION”

Three Versions Available Oozing with Extras Including a Limited Edition Blu-Ray ™ Collector’s Tin!

Beverly Hills, CA – “The Walking Dead, AMC’s hit original series that Entertainment Weekly hailed as the “best new show on TV”, gets a new release on Blu-ray™ and DVD this fall that’s sure to wake the dead!  Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly releases the AMC® original series “THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 1 – SPECIAL EDITION” on October 4, 2011.  Available in three versions (Special Edition DVD, Special Edition Blu-ray and Limited Edition Blu-ray Collector’s Tin), each set contains all six episodes of the first season and is loaded with NEW behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentaries, extra footage and the fan-requested black and white version of the pilot episode.  In addition to the Blu-ray special edition, a limited edition collector’s tin contains an exclusive wearable zombie mask from NECA designed by the series own make-up artist, Greg Nicotero.  The first 100,000 units of the Blu-ray and Limited Edition Collector’s Tin together includes an EXCLUSIVE Cryptozoic “The Walking Dead” trading card.

In each version, all six episodes contain audio commentaries including award-winning Producer/Writer/Director Frank Darabont, Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Executive Producer/Writer Robert Kirkman, Producer Denise Huth, Actor Andrew Lincoln, Special Effects Make-Up Artist/Consulting Producer Greg Nicotero and many more!  A breakdown of each release follows:

All three versions include the following NEW extras:

Pilot Episode:  The B&W Version
Audio Commentaries On All 6 episodes
We Are The Walking Dead
Bring Out The Dead:  KNB And The Art of Making Zombies
Digital Decay:  The VFX of The Walking Dead
No More Room in Hell:  The Walking Dead Phenomenon
Adapting The Dead
Killer Conversations:  Frank Darabont & Greg Nicotero
Each version includes bonus features from the previous release of “The Walking Dead: Season 1” on DVD that contained the following:

The Making of The Walking Dead
Inside The Walking Dead:  Episodes 1 – 6
A Sneak Peek with Robert Kirkman
Behind The Scenes Zombie Make-Up Tips
Convention Panel with the Producers
The Walking Dead Trailer

Extra Footage includes:

Zombie School
Bicycle Girl
On Set with Robert Kirkman
Hanging with Steven Yeun
Inside Dale’s RV
On Set with Andrew Lincoln

AMC's hit "The Walking Dead," which broke ratings records in its first season reaching more Adults 18-49 than any other drama series in the history of basic cable television,* returns for its second season this Fall. The series is based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln ("Teachers," Love Actually), who travel in search of a safe and secure home. Shot on location in Atlanta, the series also stars Jon Bernthal ("The Pacific," The Ghost Writer) as Shane Walsh, Sarah Wayne Callies ("Prison Break") as Lori Grimes, Laurie Holden ("The Shield," Stephen King's The Mist) as Andrea, Jeffrey DeMunn (Stephen King's The Mist, The Green Mile) as Dale, Norman Reedus (“The Conspirator”) as Daryl, Steven Yeun ("The Big Bang Theory") as Glen, Emma Bell (The Bedford Diaries) as Amy and Chandler Riggs (Get Low) as Carl Grimes. Season two of "The Walking Dead" is executive produced by three-time Academy™ Award nominee Frank Darabont, Gale Anne Hurd, Kirkman, David Alpert, and Glen Mazzara and AMC Studios. Greg Nicotero

*Source: The Nielsen Company.  Live+SD. 1/1/93-12/5/10.  A18-49, AA(000).  M-Sa 8P-11P, Su 7P-12A.  General Drama.  Ad Supported Cable.  Entire Series Original Premiere Series Airings Only.

Based on the popular Image Comics’ comic book written by Robert Kirkman, the series premiered on AMC Fearfest Halloween night and immediately became the most watched drama series in cable’s history with 3.5 million viewers. It has thrilled (and chilled) both critics and audiences with its groundbreaking take on the living dead lore.  Season 2 of “The Walking Dead” premieres on AMC this fall. 

About AMC
AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series three years in a row, as well as the Golden Globe® Award for Best Television Series - Drama for three consecutive years.  Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories.  AMC's original stories include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Killing” and “Hell on Wheels.”  AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with AMC’s Docu-Stories, a slate of unscripted original series, as well as curated movie franchises like AMC’s Can’t Get Enough and AMC’s Crazy About.  Available in more than 97 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv.  AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile.  AMC: Story Matters HereSM.

About Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is the home entertainment division of Starz Media, LLC. It includes the Anchor Bay Films and Manga Entertainment brands. It distributes feature films, children’s entertainment, fitness, TV series, documentaries, anime and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group.

THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 1 - SPECIAL EDITION Blu-Ray™
Street Date:                 October 4, 2011         
Pre-book:                   September 7, 2011
Cat. #:                         BD23097
UPC:                           0 1313 23097-9 8
Run Time:                    292 Minutes
Rating:                         Not Rated
SRP:                            $59.99
Format:                       Widescreen (1.78:1) 1080p
Audio:                         English Dolby TrueHD 5.1/French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:                     English and Spanish

THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 1 – SPECIAL EDITION DVD
Street Date:                October 4, 2011         
Pre-book:                  September 7, 2011
Cat. #:                        DV23096
UPC:                          1313 23096-9 9
Run Time:                   292 Minutes
Rating:                        Not Rated
SRP:                           $49.98
Format:                       Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:                         English Dolby Digital 5.1/French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:                     English and Spanish

THE WALKING DEAD: LIMITED EDITION COLLECTOR’S TIN (Blu-ray™ ONLY)
Street Date:                 October 4, 2011         
Pre-book:                   September 7, 2011
Cat. #:                        BD23505
UPC:                          0 1313 23505-9 2
Run Time:                   292 Minutes
Rating:                        Not Rated
SRP:                           $89.99
Format:                       Widescreen (1.78:1) 1080p
Audio:                         English Dolby TrueHD 5.1/French Dolby Surround 2.0
Subtitles:                     English and Spanish

THE WALKING DEAD Special Edition on DVD, Blu-ray and Limited Edition Blu-ray Tin October 4th from Anchor Bay Entertainment

REGGIE PERRIN: SET 1 -- DVD review by porfle

Back in the 70s, my local PBS station (KERA Dallas-Ft. Worth) had what they called the "British Comedy Block" on Sunday nights.  It was anchored by "Monty Python's Flying Circus", followed by a selection of some of the best Brit comedy shows available at the time.  One of them, "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" starring the great Leonard Rossiter as a middle-class office drone going through a mid-life crisis, became one of my favorite TV shows of all time. 

Fast-forward to the next century, and along comes a remake simply titled "Reggie Perrin" to give the old serial another go with a new cast and an altered storyline.  But while the twelve episodes contained in the DVD set REGGIE PERRIN: SET 1 struggle desperately to reach the same level of silly, yet delightfully witty humor that made the original so much fun, the result is a dull, dense, and sometimes dreary affair that only a laugh track could find truly amusing.

In Rossiter's hands, Reggie was an ordinary man slowly worn down by the repetitive tedium of everyday life, his haggard hopelessness gradually turning to bitter cynicism and a revolt against conformity.  Martin Clunes ("Men Behaving Badly", "Doc Martin") comes off more like a classroom malcontent from the start, already cynical and misanthropic before indignity upon indignity turns him into a different person.



It's such a one-note interpretation of the character that when Reggie finally does that thing that he does after reaching what's supposed to be his breaking point (as immortalized in the original series' opening titles), it comes and goes with barely any meaning at all.  Clunes does what he can, but the storyline is unfocused and the writers don't seem to have a clear direction for the character.  Aside from touching a few key bases from the old series, what we get here is hardly more than a low-level serial sitcom that gets a laugh now and then by buffeting the viewer with a hail of cheap gags. 

Longtime Perrin fans will no doubt appreciate the more literal nods to the old series, as when Reggie pauses in front of Sunshine Desserts before proceeding to his current workplace, Groomtech.  His manically overbearing boss, Chris Jackson (Neil Stuke), picks up a business magazine with the glaring face of the original C.J. (John Barron) on the cover, reminding us of how much funnier the original C.J. was. 

The two share a common catchphrase ("I didn't get where I am today without...") while Reggie continues the tradition of explaining his daily tardiness to his secretary ("27 minutes late--shrubbery on the line near Peckham") and responding to his wife's cheery "Have a nice day at the office" with "I won't."

At work, Reggie still has two young marketing toadies gushing their own catchphrases over his every utterance ("I'm almost physically excited!" Steve enthuses about the new ten-blade shaving razor that squirts lotion) and a beautiful co-worker who tempts him with thoughts of adultery (Lucy Liemann as "Jasmine").  This time his secretary is the sublimely stupid Vicky (Kerry Howard), my favorite new character.  Reggie's wife, Nicola, is now a school teacher who has little time for him between work and social causes.  Fay Ripley lacks the comic timing to liven up her not-that-funny lines and seems somewhat miscast in the role.



While season one ends with Reggie's mock suicide, it's never the "through the looking glass" experience it was in the original series--not only does a changed Reggie fail to return in another guise at the start of season two, he doesn't seem to have changed much at all.  Still, the storyline plods on with his subsequent takeover of Groomtech and creation of the intentionally-useless line of Grot products. 

By this point, the new series is an exercise in labored whimsy, joylessly rehashing things by rote without bringing anything new and imaginative into play.  Even Reggie's frequent revenge fantasies (such as killing his bosses in various ways) become monotonous.

The two-disc DVD from Acorn Media is in 16:9 widescreen with Dolby Digital sound and English subtitles.  The sole extra is a behind-the-scenes photo gallery.

REGGIE PERRIN: SET 1 may provide some laughs to viewers unfamiliar with "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin", but I can't imagine it being a very memorable experience on its own.  The show seems to get tired of itself long before the final episode.



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REGGIE PERRIN: SET 1 -- DVD review by porfle

Acorn Media Unveils Acorn TV - First British TV Focused Streaming Service

ACORN MEDIA GROUP UNVEILS ACORN TV

First British TV Focused Streaming Service Offers Critically Acclaimed Series including Upstairs Downstairs, Brideshead Revisited and Agatha Christie’s Poirot

Silver Spring, MD; July 18, 2011 – Acorn Media Group today announced the launch of Acorn TV, a new streaming service that makes the company’s award-winning British mysteries and dramas available online to American audiences.

Available at acornonline.com/TV, the launch line-up includes such bestselling classics and contemporary titles as Upstairs Downstairs, Brideshead Revisited, The Far Pavilions, Foyle’s War, Agatha Christie’s Poirot and The Forsyte Saga. Acorn TV will mark the first time many of these programs are available for streaming.

Acorn Media, a leading independent media company that Time magazine has called the “chief curators of the best Brit TV,” holds exclusive North American distribution rights to the most critically acclaimed programs, all of which are available from Acorn Media on lavishly packaged DVDs. Most are also available from Acorn Media as digital copies that can be purchased and downloaded. Now, Acorn TV offers U.S. fans of British TV the opportunity to stream many of their favorite series, as well as discover programs such as Vera starring Brenda Blethyn and Reggie Perrin starring Martin Clunes. These programs and many others offered by Acorn are beloved by U.K. viewers but haven’t been available to U.S. audiences.

“Acorn Media Group has found incredible success building a media company focused on audiences passionate for distinctive programming, in particular, British programming,” said Miguel Penella, CEO of Acorn Media Group. “Through our long-term relationship with our target audience, Acorn Media has helped introduce British dramas and mystery programs in North America. With Acorn TV, we can offer these programs on an anytime and, ultimately, anywhere basis. We look forward to streaming our incredible program library to U.S. audiences.”

At launch Acorn TV is offering a full season of six different series with the first episode of each season featured online for free. For only $24.99 a year, Acorn Premium subscribers get unlimited access to all of the episodes in each selected season. In addition, Premium members receive free shipping on all orders from Acorn’s distinctive merchandise catalog and website, www.AcornOnline.com.

A free trial of Acorn TV is being offered to viewers through August 31 at acornonline.com/TV.

Programming for Acorn TV is refreshed weekly, with each season available for six weeks. There are six seasons and more than 40 hours of programming offered at any given time. Each week one season will be added and the oldest season will be removed. As Acorn TV develops the programming offering will evolve based on audience preferences.

Acorn TV is accessible at launch on computers, iPhones, iPads, and any portable device with a browser that runs Flash 10 or higher, Apple TV, and Google TV. Additional devices and applications will follow over the next 12 months. 

To access Acorn TV:

1.    Visit acornonline.com/TV and click on the big red button at the top right of the page that says “Register now to try Acorn TV Premium Access for free until 8/31/11”

2.    Enter registration information (just email, no credit card required) and then sit back and enjoy some fine British television!

About Acorn Media Group:
Based in suburban Washington, D.C. and founded by Chairman Peter Edwards, Acorn Media Group has grown from a one-man basement documentary production and distribution operation in the mid-1980s into a leading independent media company operating on three continents. The Acorn Media Group consists of four divisions. With its Acorn DVD label, Acorn Media U.S. is the leading distributor of British television programming to consumers in North America. Its Acacia DVD label offers a line of original health & wellness programming. Appealing to the growing lifelong learning audience, Acorn U.S. also offers acclaimed documentaries on the Athena DVD label. Acorn Direct is a direct-to-consumer division offering DVDs, digital downloads, and other high quality products in North America through its Acorn and Acacia catalogs and e-commerce websites. Acorn Media U.K. and Acorn Media Australia distribute comparable lines of DVD titles to consumers in the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. www.acornmedia.com

Acorn Media Unveils Acorn TV - First British TV Focused Streaming Service

"Hills Have Eyes" and "Saw" Actors Battle It Out In... "THE TENANT"

Your next breath will be your last…

An obsessed Scientist tries to cure human deformities through DNA splicing, an obsession drawing him into a dark world where he experiments on the patients at Edgewood Asylum. Ignoring his pregnant wife Olivia, she comes to see him one night, but everything goes horribly wrong as Dr. Newman watches in horror as Olivia deliver their twins - One twin is a beautiful baby girl, the other a deformed creature that defies nature. 

25 years later, on a dark road, a van breaks down. Young, beautiful Liz Holliman of the Roslyn Center for the Deaf is traveling with a group of young teens and her driver, ex-con, Jeff Thomas.  With a flat tire, a storm and freezing temperatures, they must seek shelter. The group makes their way to an old abandoned building -- the Edgewood Asylum. Little do they know - evil awaits them…


 
CAST:
Michael Berryman (The Devils Rejects, Hills Have Eyes, Weird Science, Star Trek IV)

Bill Cobbs (Night at the Museum, The Body Guard, Hudsucker Proxy, Star Trek)

Ashley Totin (America’s Next Top Model, Bachelor Party 2, All My Children, Kidnapped)

J. LaRose (Insidious, Repo Genetic Opera, Saw III, Saw IV, Mothers Day, Sheena)

Randy Molnar (Contract Killers, Larry the Cable Guy, This Man’s Life)

Jenn Sterger (of “Brett Favre Fame” – NY Jets Reporter, Attack of the Show, Z Rock)

TRAILER/PREVIEW (2mins):

RELEASE DATE: Aug. 16, 2011

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"Hills Have Eyes" and "Saw" Actors Battle It Out In... "THE TENANT"

"X-MEN: FIRST CLASS" arrives on First Class Friday, 9/9

"X-MEN: FIRST CLASS" -- WITNESS THE BEGINNING
The Ultimate Blu-ray and DVD Experience Arrives on First Class Friday, September 9th

BONUS OFFER: First 1,000 Fans to Pre-Order A Blu-ray or DVD During San Diego Comic-Con Receive a Limited Edition X-MEN: FIRST CLASS T-Shirt!

LOS ANGELES (July 19, 2011) – Before they were superheroes, the fate of humanity depended on an extraordinary group of youngsters who went on to become X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Based on the international bestselling Marvel Comics franchise, this box office hit bursts onto Blu-ray and DVD Friday, September 9 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. For the first time ever, “X-Men” fans will have the power to choose a side between Professor X and Magneto with two versions of premium collectible Blu-ray packaging. Also exclusively on Blu-ray, fans receive access to over two hours of special interactive features PLUS ten Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics including a never-before-seen “X-Men: First Class” backstory— redeemable through each Blu-ray’s unique packaging code. 

Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick Ass) tells the true origins of the multi-billion dollar film franchise, guiding exceptional performances by Golden Globe®-nominee James McAvoy (Atonement), Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds), and Golden Globe®-winner Kevin Bacon (“Taking Chance,” Mystic River). A “rare movie event that balances an intelligent story with solid performances, first-rate action and top-of-the-line special effects” (Ben Lyons, E!), X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has drawn an impressive $150 million at the domestic box office and nearly $350 million worldwide.

Before Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time, working together to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. The film features a star-studded supporting cast, including Academy Award®-nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), January Jones (“Mad Men”), Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later), Zoë Kravitz (“Californication”), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Lucas Till (Walk the Line), and Emmy Award®-nominee Oliver Platt (“The West Wing”).

The first 1,000 fans to pre-order their Blu-ray or DVD copy of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS during San Diego Comic-Con (July 21 – 24) will receive a free limited edition T-shirt, showing their support for either “Team Charles” or “Team Erik.” Fans can pre-order their copy in person at the Fox booth #4313 or online at www.FoxConnect.com. During this time, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS will be available on Blu-ray and DVD at the exclusive price of $25.00 for Blu-ray and $18.00 for DVD.

Special features on the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Blu-ray include:
--10 Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics with exclusive “X-Men: First Class” Backstory Comic 
--More than two hours of never-before-seen extras, including: 
--Cerebro Mutant Tracker: The complete interactive Mutant Database with interactive videos giving fans the ability to learn about their favorite mutants in the X-Men film franchise
-Children of the Atom: An eight-part behind-the-scenes featurette, charting the film from pre-production through post-production, including visual effects techniques and cataloguing “X-Men” transformations through prosthetic make up and costume design
-“X” Marks the Spot: An interactive feature allowing viewers the opportunity to learn more about specific scenes with talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footage
--Extended and Deleted Scenes
--BD-Live Portal with additional Cerebro Mutant Tracker profiles 
--Composer’s Isolated Score
--Theatrical Trailer

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Blu-ray (Catalog # 2275094)
Street Date: September 9, 2011
Pre-book Date: August 10, 2011
Screen Format: 2.40:1 (16:9)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (some special features in 5.1 DD or 2.0 DD)
 Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
U.S. Rating: PG-13
Total Run Time: 4 hours, 55 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS DVD (Catalog #2275087) 
Street Date: September 9, 2011
Pre-book Date: August 10, 2011
Screen Format: 2.35:1 (16:9)
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital (some special features in 2.0 Dolby Stereo)
 Spanish 2.0 Dolby Surround, French 2.0 Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
U.S. Rating: PG-13
Total Run Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

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"X-MEN: FIRST CLASS" arrives on First Class Friday, 9/9

SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA with 3D Bonus Feature coming to Blu-ray and DVD September 13 from Anchor Bay Entertainment

“Epic and freakishly compelling.” – TV GUIDE

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT UNLEASHES “SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA”
WITH ITS FIRST-EVER 3D BONUS FEATURE!

Two-Disc Set Contains All Six Episodes and An Amazing Array Of Bonus Features!

Beverly Hills, CA – “SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA,” the exciting STARZ Original series, is ready for battle when Anchor Bay Entertainment releases the prequel to the acclaimed “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” on Blu-ray™ and DVD September 13, 2011.  The two-disc collection contains a muscular amount of bonus features including never-before-seen featurettes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage (including a set tour with star Lucy Lawless). The Blu-ray is even mightier with extended episodes, audio commentary on all six episodes and a mind-blowing battle sequence in 3D - a first for a TV on Blu-Ray™ release! A sneak peek of the 3D bonus feature will happen at the STARZ booth at Comic-Con 2011 in San Diego. 

“SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA” premiered January 21, 2011 on STARZ and delivered record ratings for the network.  With each new episode, the series continued to gain devoted viewers.  Executive produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, this exhilarating season follows Gannicus, the charismatic gladiator aspiring to become Champion of Capua and of the House of Batiatus.  With political ambitions and poised to overthrow his father and take control of the House, a young Batiatus will freely betray anyone to ensure his gladiators are in the highest demand.  With his loyal and calculating wife Lucretia by his side, they will stop at nothing to deceive the masses.

Joining returning stars, John Hannah (The Mummy, Four Weddings and A Funeral) as Batiatus, Peter Mensah (300, The Incredible Hulk) as Oenomaus and Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”) as Lucretia, are new cast members Dustin Clare (“Underbelly”) as Gannicus, Jaime Murray (“Hu$tle”) as Gaia and Marisa Ramirez (“General Hospital”) as Melitta.

With content too hot for cable TV, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deluxe packaging and an amazing 3D battle scene from the final episode, “SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA” is sure to have fans of the show cheering, while capturing the attention of all those uninitiated into the world of Spartacus - thumbs up, indeed!

Blu-ray and DVD bonus features include:

STARZ Studios: GODS OF THE ARENA              
Weapons Of Mass Disruption            
Battle Royale: Anatomy Of A Scene            
On Set With Lucy Lawless                
10 Easy Steps To Dismemberment                
Post Production: The Final Execution                       
Enter The Arena: Production Design             
Dressed To Kill                      
Convention Panel                   
Arena Bloopers
                      
Exclusive Blu-ray bonus features include:

3D "Ring Of Fire" Battle Sequence
Extended Episodes
Audio Commentaries On All Episodes (including: Writer/Creator/Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight, Executive Producer Rob Tapert and actors John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Dustin Clare, Jaime Murray, Peter Mensah – and more


SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA - BLU-RAY™
Street Date:                 September 13, 2011   
Pre-book:                    August 17, 2011
Cat. #:                         BD23094
UPC:                           0 1313 23094-9 1
Run Time:                    347 Minutes
Rating:                         Not Rated
SRP:                            $49.99
Format:                       Widescreen (1.78:1) 1080p
Audio:                         English Dolby TrueHD 5.1/Spanish Mono
Subtitles:                      English, Spanish

SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA - DVD
Street Date:                 September 13, 2011   
Pre-book:                    August 17, 2011
Cat. #:                         ST23093
UPC:                           0 1313 23093-9 2
Run Time:                    335 Minutes
Rating:                         Not Rated
SRP:                            $39.98
Format:                        Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio:                         English Dolby Digital 5.1/Spanish Mono
Subtitles:                     English, Spanish


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DVD
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SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA with 3D Bonus Feature coming to Blu-ray and DVD September 13 from Anchor Bay Entertainment

TOP GEAR: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON -- DVD review by porfle

The original British version of the TV series "Top Gear" was so popular that the BBC decided to create different incarnations of it for different countries, a la "Wheel of Fortune."  Getting an American copy off the ground proved a bit difficult, though, but after a couple of false starts, the History Channel aired the first episode of the Yank-based "Top Gear" on November 21, 2010.  The first ten installments are now available from BBC Worldwide Productions in the 3-disc DVD set, TOP GEAR: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, and if you already like the British show then there's no reason why this one shouldn't pop your clutch as well.

While I missed original hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, the new guys are a likable bunch who get better as they grow more comfortable on the show.  Their studio segments are a bit stiff at first, with the audience reacting to their lame one-liners with mercy laughter.  But as they start getting used to each other and working more smoothly as a comedy team, things get more lighthearted and fun.  By the second or third episode, the trio of racing champion Tanner Foust, auto racing analyst Rutledge Wood, and actor-comedian Adam Ferrara are firing on all cylinders.

The chief trait shared by all three of these disparate personalities, of course, is an undying love of cars.  The show features a stunning array of the world's most incredible supercars by manufacturers such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston-Martin, Porsche, and many others, and the giddy hosts can't wait to get behind the wheels of these dream machines and take them out for some intensive test drives.  It's easy to share their excitement as they careen around spacious airfields or go for top speeds in places like the Mojave Desert.  These guys know cars, and are able to evaluate the pros and cons of each model even as they lose themselves in the abandon of auto ecstasy in machines that cost up to $250,000.



As in the British version, each episode features regular segments such as "Big Star, Small Car."  Here, celebrity guests are interviewed before the studio audience gets to see video of their lap around the Top Gear track in a Suzuki SX4 Sportback.  Season one's guests include Tony Hawk, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Kid Rock, Tim Allen, Michelle Rodriguez, Ty Burrell, Bret Michaels, and LORD OF THE RINGS' Dominic Monaghan, all vying to see who can get the fastest time.  The show's enigmatic resident race car driver The Stig, whose face is never shown, also takes some of the show's supercars for a spin around the track. 

My favorite part of "Top Gear", without a doubt, is the challenges.  The first episode gets things off to an exciting start with "Cobra Attack", in which two of the hosts race from Point A to Point B in a Dodge Viper SRT-10 while being stalked from the air by a Cobra attack helicopter.  In another segment, co-host Tanner Roust has to give lessons in "drifting" (letting the back wheels slide from side to side during turns) to a blind man until he's ready to undertake a series of tests that had me on the edge of my seat.  Roust also gets to drive the Ford F-150 SVT VelociRaptor in a cross-country race across the desert against a HALO parachutist as he plummets downward toward the same destination. 

The show gets down to some serious fun when the hosts are tasked to take the wheel of some not-so-cherry used cars and put them through a series of punishing tests.  Each host invariably chooses a car that reflects his personality while often serving as an object of derision by the others, as in Rutledge Wood's selection of the Buick Roadmaster in the "Beater Boot Camp" episode.
 


Adam Ferrara's massive Cadillac Coupe DeVille also comes in for some jibes in "Flying Coupe DeVille", in which the boys make like old-time moonshiners evading the law.  This segment climaxes with a lap around a moto-cross track for each car, with Ferrara's land yacht executing a thrillingly ill-advised ramp jump that turns it into a canoe.  This was one of the moments that had me laughing out loud and rewinding the DVD.  Another such moment is when Tanner literally bails out of his car during a failed emergency-brake test and it rolls backward down the hill, making a couple of perfect turns on its own that cause it to plow right into Ferrara's Caddy.

Some of the more frenetic challenges have an "Amazing Race" quality to them and are intensely fun, even when some of the action seems staged.  By the later episodes the guys have a casual interplay going on that includes plenty of practical jokes and some ruthless competitiveness.  The penultimate show of the season (episode ten is a clip show) takes them to Alaska for a real cross-country automotive ordeal in some breathtakingly beautiful locations, with each host driving a used truck purchased sight-unseen online.  When Rutledge's snug little log-cabin camper (which he loves) bounces out of his truck during some rough going, Tanner is only too happy to plow right through it and reduce it to firewood.  All in good fun, of course.

The 3-disc, 10-episode DVD set from BBC is in 16:9 with Dolby stereo and English subtitles.  The episode "Alaska Special - America's Toughest Truck" features a breezy commentary track with the guys.  Disc three also includes several behind-the-scenes webisodes and an informal poolside chat in which our hosts just yak about whatever enters their pointy little heads for about half an hour.

After watching season 13 of the British show and enjoying it very much, I have to say that for me the USA version of "Top Gear" is just as much fun.  Foust, Wood, and Ferrara may not have had thirteen seasons to hone their act, but they're on the right track.  You don't even have to be all that into cars to like TOP GEAR: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON--the automotive love shared by everyone involved with the show is infectious. 


Release date: July 19

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TOP GEAR: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON -- DVD review by porfle

Sion Sono's "COLD FISH" releases on DVD August 23

Bloody Disgusting and The Collective Present COLD FISH At a Theatre Near You August, 2011

DVD, Video on Demand , iTunes and other Format Releases  Beginning August 23

“Gleeful Absurdity”--aintitcoolnews

“…another fervid fantasia hatched by cult Japanese helmer Sion Sono.”--Variety

“…one of the most powerful, punishing works to come out of Japan this year.” –Todd Brown, Twitch


WHAT:             COLD FISH-from Sion Sono, the director of LOVE EXPOSURE and SUICIDE CLUB.  COLD FISH has won acclaim at both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. In the film, mild-mannered Shamoto’s teenage daughter gets caught shoplifting. A generous fellow fish-store owner and his wife appear to help resolve the situation by having her work at their fish store. Too good to be true?  You bet! Shamoto soon discovers the horrific truth about this seemingly perfect couple…who inextricably weave him into their grisly rituals. Inspired by true events, COLD FISH is a twisted, brutal, blood-soaked drama that reveals the underlying insanity of an ordinary man pushed well beyond the brink.

View the official trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieTAZUXrBD0&feature=player_embedded.

WHEN:             NY: August 5 thru 12. Check local listings for show times.
                        LA: August 6 and 7. Check local listings for show times.
                        Austin : August 15 thru 18. Check local listings for show times.
                        Phoenix : August 19 thru 20. Check local listings for show times.
                        Salem , MA : August 26 thru Sept. 1. Check local listings for show times.

DVD & iTunes: August 23, 2011

Amazon DVD Pre-Order Now

TV Video on Demand: September 23-November 22, 2011

WHERE:           NY: reRun Gastropub Theater, 147 Front Street , Brooklyn , NY 11201
LA: Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave. , Los Angeles , 90036. (323) 655-2510
Austin: Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 S. Lamar Blvd. , Austin TX 78704. (512)476-1320
Phoenix: The Royale, 108 W. Main St. , Mesa , AZ 85201
Salem, MA : Cinema Salem , 1 East India Square , Salem MA 01970 (978)744-0660

MORE:             Sion Sono made his debut as a poet at the age of 17. In 1985, his short I AM SONO SION! (1985) was screened in competition at the prestigious Pia Film Festival, and two years later, he won the Grand Prize for OTOKO NO HANAMICHI.  A subsequent Pia Fellowship financed his feature BICYCLE SIGHS in 1990. The film toured the festival circuit for two years and played at over thirty venues in Europe and Asia , including the Berlin International Film Festival. LOVE EXPOSURE (2009) won the Agnes B. Audience Award at the Tokyo Filmex. It also won the Caligari Award and the International Jury Award at Berlin . Sono remains active as a poet and novelist.

WHAT ELSE:   The Collective, a full-service entertainment management and content company, along with leading theaters and distributors, and #1 Horror website BloodyDisgusting.com, have partnered to acquire and distribute the best new horror and thriller titles from the festival and international markets to theatres across America . 

Bloody Disgusting premieres a new title in the series each month across multiple major US markets. After their theatrical runs, films from the series are available to fans of the genre in DVD, Video on Demand (VOD), online and television. Released though The Collective’s home-video partnership with Vivendi Universal, DVDs for titles in the Bloody Disgusting series can feature unrated content, bonus features and special packaging for each title. The first, RAMMBOCK, was released June 28 on DVD and VOD. YELLOWBRICKROAD streets on August 2 on DVD and digital VOD. YELLOWBRICKROAD will run on TV VOD from September 2 through November 1.

DVD Cataloguing Information: COLD FISH
Genre: Horror, Foreign   
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
Format:  DVD Region 1 (NTSC)
Year: 2010; SRP: $19.997
Street date: August 23, 2011
Length: 145 minutes plus 15 minutes’ bonus features
Audio:  Stereo/5.1 Discs: 1
UPC: 883476032962

For more information, Tickets and stills please visit: www.BloodyDisgustingSelects.com

Sion Sono's "COLD FISH" releases on DVD August 23