Why Is All The Paper Soggy In "The Cocoanuts"? (Marx Bros, 1929)(video)

In 1929, sound recording was still an ongoing problem. 

The Marx Brothers comedy "The Cocoanuts" had its sound problems...including a loud crackling noise every time someone handled paper.

To solve the problem, all paper used in the film was soaked in water.

So every time you see paper, it's soggy and limp.

The humor may be dry, but the paper isn't.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Why Is All The Paper Soggy In "The Cocoanuts"? (Marx Bros, 1929)(video)

Scary Monster Transformation Scenes (video)

Scary Monster Transformation Scenes

Mad Monster (1942)
Return of the Vampire (1944)
The Neanderthal Man (1953)
The Werewolf (1956)
The Vampire (1957)
I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Fury of the Wolfman (1972)

Read our reviews of "Return of the Vampire" , "The Vampire", and "Neanderthal Man" 


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Scary Monster Transformation Scenes (video)

This May, Time Life Releases "THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW IN COLOR: DELUXE EDITION", Featuring More Episodes Unseen in 50 Years!

"THE GREAT ONE" RETURNS WITH TWELVE NEVER-BEFORE-RELEASED EPISODES OF HIS SMASH TV VARIETY SHOW UNSEEN FOR 50 YEARS!

THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW IN COLOR: DELUXE EDITION

Street Date: May 15, 2018
DVD SRP: $29.95

Just in Time for Father's Day, Time Life Delivers a Brand New, Beautifully-Remastered Three-Disc DVD Set Featuring Seven Previously Unreleased Honeymooners Sketches, Gleason's Classic Characters, Hilarious Sketches and the Biggest Stars in Tinseltown, Including Jack Benny, George Burns, Milton Berle, Tony Bennett, Mickey Rooney, Groucho Marx and Many More!

PROGRAM SYNOPSIS

"How swee-eet it is!" Unseen for more than 50 years, at long last, The Jackie Gleason Show is back!

From 1966-1970, Gleason, everyone's favorite working-class hero, entertained enthralled audiences across the country with his eponymous TV Variety Show featuring hilarious sketches, celebrity guest stars and much more.

Taped in beautiful Miami Beach, The Jackie Gleason Show delivered an unforgettable gallery of characters Gleason himself created and fine-tuned, including his most indelible and legendary creation -- Ralph Kramden -- as he and Art Carney revived their Honeymooners roles (with Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean added as the new Alice and Trixie), all presented in glorious color for the first time.

Across three beautifully-remastered collector's discs, THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW IN COLOR: DELUXE EDITION contains 12 never-before-released episodes -- including 7 unreleased Honeymooners sketches that haven't been seen since they first aired, including Six Months To Live, Alice's Birthday, Lawsuit, Hot Tip, The New Bowling Ball, Norton Moves In, and The New Manager. 

Tune in to see Jackie at his best, on stage with all his famous friends - Jack Benny, George Burns, Milton Berle, Tony Bennett, Red Buttons, Phil Silvers, Florence Henderson, Frankie Avalon, Nipsey Russell, Edie Adams, Sid Caesar, Alan King, Robert Goulet, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra Jr., Victor Borge -- and others.

"The Jackie Gleason Show" delivered an hour of non-stop entertainment every week, and now, home audiences can let Jackie entertain them any time! So cue the travelin' music and heed the big man's message before he glides offstage: "And awaaay we go!"

THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW IN COLOR: DELUXE EDITION
Type: DVD/3 Discs
Running Time: 496 mins.
Rating: N/A
Genre: TV DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (4:3)
Audio: Stereo

This May, Time Life Releases "THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW IN COLOR: DELUXE EDITION", Featuring More Episodes Unseen in 50 Years!

Twin Shatners! (Four Different Ones) (video)

Twin Shatners! (Four Different Ones)

Star Trek: The Original Series, "The Enemy Within" (1966)
Star Trek: The Original Series, "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" (1966)
Star Trek: The Original Series, "Whom Gods Destroy" (1969)
"White Comanche" (1968)

Read our review of "White Comanche" HERE


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Twin Shatners! (Four Different Ones) (video)

EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Sex and cannibalism--two great tastes that go great together.  That is, if that particular combination appeals to you.  And if it does, then you'll be in for quite a treat when you watch Joe D'Amato's 1977 Italian flesh feast EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS (Severin Films).

Finding a clue to a lost tribe of people-eaters deep in the Amazonian jungle, intrepid journalist Emanuelle (Laura Gemser, VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON, THE ALCOVE) heads south in the company of handsome anthropologist Prof. Mark Lester (Gabriele Tinti, who would co-star with Gemser in VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON and also marry her in real life).

Lester's young lady friend Isabelle (Monica Zanchi), a trader's daughter, agrees to take them and a nun, Sister Angela (Anne Maria Clementi), on a supply run to the isolated mission of a priest who knows about the lost tribe. 

During the trip, they're also joined by a gruff big-game hunter named McKenzie (Donald O'Brien) and his oversexed wife Maggie (Susan Scott), whose sexual dysfunctions--he's frustrated and impotent while she's a nympho making out with the help behind his back--add fuel to the film's dramatic fire.

Once we meet all the players, it's time for a long jungle trudge that's frequently interrupted by intense softcore sex scenes involving various combinations of characters. 

It quickly becomes apparent that these people have sex the way race car drivers have pit stops, and they're all in a constant state of arousal.  This leads to a few volatile exchanges, mostly due to McKenzie's jealousy, that play out like something from a steamy pulp novel.

But just when we think we're simply watching a jungle skin flick, in swoop the ever-stalking cannibals to make off with someone and stake them out for some maniacal dismembering, disemboweling, and devouring. 

While not entirely convincing, the graphic gore FX (often using actual animal entrails) are above-average for this kind of flick and those not already desensitized by frequent viewing of such cinematic atrocities will likely be properly shocked and appalled.

When Isabelle herself is kidnapped by the ravenous horde and made the main attraction in a horrific sacrificial ceremony, those who remain must undertake a desperate rescue mission in which they're vastly outnumbered. 

Still more blood 'n' guts cannibal action ensues, as well as a thoroughly unpleasant gang-rape sequence, after which the film's rousing finale takes place with a daring escape attempt that ends it all on a high note.

The cast of familiar genre stalwarts is in top form here, particularly the lovely Laura Gemser in her signature role as Emanuelle.  Despite some long stretches of repetitive hiking through the jungle and monotonous sex, the story manages to build to a suspenseful pitch in the latter half as things grow more hopelessly bleak for our main characters. 

D'Amato (BEYOND THE DARKNESS) handles the direction with his usual rough-hewn style, in which moments of placid sexual imagery are harshly juxtaposed with tawdry, stomach-churning gore. 

With that in mind, potential viewers should have no problem deciding whether or not this is their kind of movie. For those who are intrigued by the prospect of such horrific goings on, EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS delivers enough sex and violence to satisfy the most voracious appetites.


Buy it at Severin Films

Special Features:
The World Of Nico Fidenco: An Interview With Composer Nico Fidenco
A Nun Among The Cannibals: An Interview With Actress Annamaria Clementi
O’Brien MD: An Interview With Actor Donal O’Brien
From Switzerland To Mato Grosso: An Interview With Actress Monika Zanchi
I Am Your Black Queen: Laura Gemser Archive Audio Interview
Theatrical Trailer
Reversible Box Art
Italian and English/English captions

Reversible Box Art:

EMANUELLE AND THE LAST CANNIBALS -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Not one of Bruno Mattei's more extreme works, nor even his most vicious "women in prison" film (THE JAIL: THE WOMEN'S HELL beats it handily on that count), VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON, aka "Caged Women" (1982) still manages to entertain thanks to the usual exploitation elements and some relatively outstanding moments.

The former, not surprisingly, includes plenty of sadomasochistic mayhem between butch female prison guards and their hapless prisoners, gleefully joined by a  monstrous warden and her sadistic club-wielding lieutenant.

Much nudity and softcore lesbian sex ensues, though I found most of it thoroughly unerotic.  Still, no women-in-prison exploitation flick is complete without indulging in such hijinks, and Mattei (directing here once again under the pseudonym "Vincent Dawn") delivers same with his usual rough-hewn panache.

This is also true for the obligatory gross-out stuff, especially when the new inmate (beautiful Laura Gemser in her signature role as "Emanuelle") is confined to solitary and attacked by slimy, ravenous rats. 

Mattei (MONDO CANNIBAL, ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD) likes to have three or four horrible things happening at once so that he can intercut amongst them for awhile, so we see Laura fighting off toothsome rats while guards molest other unfortunate prisoners and the wardens of the male and female sides of the prison engage in sick, voyeuristic sex games themselves.

We also visit the men's side of the prison where a gay inmate is constantly being gang-raped after his fellow prisoners get worked up watching one of the women exposing herself at a window.  These scenes usually end with a horde of guards descending upon the men in the exercise yard and beating them all senseless with clubs.

All of which takes place within an ideal found location--some kind of sprawling old European castle or something--that adds immeasurably to the film's atmosphere and production values.  An enthusiastic cast also adds to our enjoyment.

Getting there a decade before ALIEN 3, this movie also has Gemser waking up in the prison hospital being lovingly attended to by a handsome, sympathetic doctor who turns out to be a fellow inmate convicted of an unfortunate crime (in this case, the euthanasia of his cancer-ridden wife).

When it turns out that Laura may actually be working undercover to expose the horrific abuses at the prison, and is in danger of discovery, Dr. Moran (Gabriele Tinti) comes up with an escape plan that will generate ample suspense later in the film. 

While that's going on, however, the best moment in VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON occurs when an aging prisoner named Pilar (Leila Ducci), who's so lonesome she keeps a cockroach in a tiny makeshift cage as a pet, takes on the evil head guard after a bloody riot in the day room. 

For two minutes or so, the film raises to a level of greatness that had me in awe.  I had to rewind and watch it again, it was so riveting and exquisitely done.  In fact, it seemed as though Dario Argento and Alfred Hitchcock had dropped by that day for a visit and decided to co-direct a scene just as a lark.

Besides that, though, VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON is your standard Bruno Mattei effort, unpolished and very, very uncouth yet good fun for those who are up for this brand of cheerfully grotesque entertainment.


Buy it at Severin Films

Special Features:
Brawl In Women’s Block: Interview With Co-Director/Co-Writer Claudio Fragasso and Co-Writer Rossella Drudi
Archive Interview With Director Bruno Mattei
Radio Spot
Reversible Box Art

Reversible box art:

VIOLENCE IN A WOMEN'S PRISON -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

The Spoken Words That Caused A Sensation In "The Jazz Singer" (1927)(video)

When Warner Brothers made "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, it was a silent film like the others of its era.

Except that the songs performed by star Al Jolson would be done using their new Vitaphone sound process.

But it wasn't hearing the songs that astounded audiences at the time.
It was the spoken patter ad-libbed by Jolson between the songs. 

Later in the film, when Jolson's character entertains his adoring mother...
...his off-the-cuff remarks charm and delight viewers, making them want more. 

The first all-spoken film was yet to come. But because of Jolson's chatty ad-libs...

..."The Jazz Singer" is still often regarded as the first "talkie."

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

(Read our review of THE JAZZ SINGER)

The Spoken Words That Caused A Sensation In "The Jazz Singer" (1927)(video)

"GREASE 40th ANNIVERSARY" Special Edition Coming April 24 to 4K Ultra, Blu-ray Combo Packs, and DVD

40 Years Later, It’s Still the Word
 

"GREASE 40th Anniversary"

Relive the Classic ‘50s Celebration with a New 40th Anniversary Edition Featuring Fully Restored Picture and Sound and New Bonus Content on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital April 24, 2018

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – It’s got a groove, it’s got a meaning…and it’s still a cultural phenomenon 40 years after its original release.  The iconic celebration of high school life in the 1950s, GREASE is the way you’ll be feeling with a new 40th Anniversary Edition on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital April 24, 2018 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. 

Featuring an explosion of song and dance, as well as star-making performances from John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, GREASE made an indelible impact on popular culture.  40 years later, the film remains an enduring favorite as legions of new fans discover the memorable moments, sensational soundtrack and classic love story.  Boasting unforgettable songs including “Greased Lightnin,” “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” “Summer Nights,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” “Beauty School Drop Out” and, of course, “Grease,” the film is a timeless feel-good celebration.

Paramount worked with director Randal Kleiser to restore GREASE to its original vibrancy with the highest quality sound, picture resolution and color.  The original negative was scanned and received extensive clean up and color correction using previously unavailable digital restoration tools such as high dynamic range technology.  In addition, the audio was enhanced from a six-track mix created for an original 70mm release, giving the music more clarity.  The resulting picture and sound create an exceptional home viewing experience. 

The GREASE 40th Anniversary Edition 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Packs include the fully restored version of the film plus an all-new, in-depth exploration of the little-known origins of what would become a Broadway play and then a feature film and worldwide phenomenon.  “Grease: A Chicago Story” features new interviews with writer Jim Jacobs and original cast members of the Chicago show.  In addition, the discs include the original song the title sequence was animated to and an alternate ending salvaged from the original black & white 16mm work print discovered by director Randal Kleiser. 

Both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Packs also feature more than an hour of previously released bonus material, including a sing-along, vintage interviews with the cast, deleted scenes and more.  Plus, the Blu-ray Combo comes in collectible packaging with 16 pages of images laid out like a high school yearbook.  In addition, a Grease Collection will be available in a Steelbook Locker, which includes the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray of Grease, as well as Grease 2 and Grease: Live! on Blu-ray for the first time.

GREASE 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Combo Pack

 The GREASE Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1  Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Japanese 2.0 Dolby Digital, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, Castilian Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin American Spanish Mono Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, Cantonese, Mandarin Simplified, Mandarin Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Thai and Turkish subtitles.  The DVD in the Combo Pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The Combo Pack includes access to a Digital copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray
⦁ Feature film in high definition
⦁ Commentary by director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch
⦁ Introduction by Randal Kleiser
⦁ Rydell Sing-Along
⦁ The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease
⦁ Grease: A Chicago Story—NEW!
⦁ Alternate Animated Main Titles—NEW!
⦁ Alternate Ending—NEW!
⦁ Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes with Introduction by Randal Kleiser
⦁ Grease Reunion 2002 – DVD Launch Party
⦁ Grease Memories from John & Olivia
⦁ The Moves Behind the Music
⦁ Thunder Roadsters
⦁ John Travolta and Allan Carr “Grease Day” interview
⦁ Olivia Newton-John and Robert Stigwood “Grease Day” interview
⦁ Photo Galleries
⦁ Theatrical Trailer
DVD
⦁ Feature film in standard definition
⦁ Commentary by director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch
⦁ Introduction by Randal Kleiser
⦁ Rydell Sing-Along
⦁ The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease
⦁ Alternate Animated Main Titles—NEW!
⦁ Alternate Ending—NEW!
⦁ Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes with Introduction by Randal Kleiser
⦁ Grease Reunion 2002 – DVD Launch Party
⦁ The Moves Behind the Music
⦁ Olivia Newton-John and Robert Stigwood “Grease Day” interview
⦁ Photo Galleries

GREASE 40th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack

 The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack includes the Blu-ray detailed above as well as a 4K disc presented in Ultra HD with English 5.1  Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Japanese 2.0 Dolby Digital, Brazilian Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, Castilian Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin American Spanish Mono Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, Cantonese, Mandarin Simplified, Mandarin Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Thai and Turkish subtitles.  The 4K Ultra HD disc includes the feature film and commentary by director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch.

GREASE 40th Anniversary DVD

 The GREASE single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The DVD includes the following:
⦁ Feature film in standard definition
⦁ Commentary by director Randal Kleiser and choreographer Patricia Birch
⦁ Introduction by Randal Kleiser
⦁ Rydell Sing-Along
⦁ The Time, The Place, The Motion: Remembering Grease
⦁ Alternate Animated Main Titles—NEW!
⦁ Alternate Ending—NEW!
⦁ Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes with Introduction by Randal Kleiser
⦁ Grease Reunion 2002 – DVD Launch Party
⦁ The Moves Behind the Music
⦁ Olivia Newton-John and Robert Stigwood “Grease Day” interview
⦁ Photo Galleries

About Paramount Home Media Distribution
Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, consumer products, and digital content for audiences in 180 countries and territories.  The PHMD division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles.  PHMD additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies. 

GREASE 40th Anniversary
Street Date:      April 24, 2018 (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital)
U.S. Rating: PG

"GREASE 40th ANNIVERSARY" Special Edition Coming April 24 to 4K Ultra, Blu-ray Combo Packs, and DVD

When Universal's "Dracula" Was Reflected In A Mirror (video)

A key element in Universal Pictures' "Dracula" lore is that the vampire's reflection can never be seen in a mirror...

...as in "Dracula" (1931) with Bela Lugosi...
...and "House of Dracula" (1945) with John Carradine.

But on at least two occasions, the filmmakers slipped up. 

In "Son of Dracula" (1943), Lon Chaney's vampire performs the screen's first bat-to-man transformation.

But in doing so, his image is captured in the hallway mirror.

In 1948's "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein", Lugosi is once again in the role.

And once again, his image is reflected in a mirror.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

When Universal's "Dracula" Was Reflected In A Mirror (video)

LAST SEEN IN IDAHO -- Movie Review by Porfle

LAST SEEN IN IDAHO (2018) starts off with a shocking double murder--"shocking" mainly because of how utterly, blandly casual it is for the jaded hitman Brock, as performed by Casper Van Dien (STARSHIP TROOPERS, TURBULENT SKIES, LAKE EFFECTS) in full reptilian mode.

This is the kind of guy Summer (screenplay writer Hallie Shepherd) will have to deal with after she witnesses another murder in the auto garage where she works, this time involving not only Brock but her weak-willed boss Dex (Eric Colley), her vile ex-husband Lance (Shawn Christian), and a mysterious crime boss who runs everything, including city government, from behind the scenes.

In this tense opening sequence Summer crashes her car trying to escape and wakes up from a coma in the hospital, watched over by her ditzy sister Trina (Alexis Monnie), who's indirectly involved since one of the bad guys has become her sugar daddy. 

As her head injury heals, Summer struggles to regain her memory of the event as she begins having visions of things to come--including her kidnapping and murder. 

This first part of LAST SEEN IN IDAHO mixes elements of Stephen King's THE DEAD ZONE with the feel of one of those Dean Koontz novels in which a strong female character faces some kind of unspeakable evil. 

The action and thriller genres are also well represented as Summer's perilous dealings with the bad guys--who want her dead before her memory returns--yield several exceedingly tense suspense sequences. 

This is further complicated when one of them, a handsome rogue named Franco (Wes Ramsey) for whom she forms romantic feelings, claims to be an undercover cop who's on her side.  Needless to say, we're just as dubious as she is.

Hallie Shepherd has written a great lead role for herself and acquits it very well, with a supporting cast that's also first-rate. (Casper Van Dien is one of the scariest villains of recent years.)  Direction by Eric Colley (THE LAST RESCUE, G.P.S.) is seamlessly good. 

The suspense begins early, builds ever so gradually, and, by the final third of the film, is a constant factor in keeping the viewer in a state of tension. 

By that time the action and excitement are almost non-stop as Hallie bounces back and forth between various forms of grave peril (at times the film resembles an edited-down feature version of a serial by way of modern film noir). 

Finally both she and sister Trina end up in the bad guys' clutches (fulfilling Summer's "kidnapping" prophecy), lighting the fuse on a violent finale that's guaranteed to put the viewer through the wringer. 

I was in the mood for something exciting, suspenseful, and smart when I sat down to give LAST SEEN IN IDAHO a watch, and it came through with flying colors. This is the kind of fine, low-budget indy filmmaking that compels you to sit up on the edge of your seat and pay attention.  


Release Date: April 24, 2018 - DVD/VOD

Watch the Trailer:

LAST SEEN IN IDAHO -- Movie Review by Porfle

Vin Diesel / One Race Films And The H Collective Acquire Rights to "xXx" Franchise From Revolution Studios

VIN DIESEL/ONE RACE FILMS AND THE H COLLECTIVE ACQUIRE RIGHTS TO “xXx” FRANCHISE FROM REVOLUTION STUDIOS

xXx 4 Production Slated to Start December 2018; Vin Diesel to Star and Produce with D.J. Caruso Returning as Director

Read our review of "xXx: Return of Xander Cage"


LOS ANGELES, CA (April 17, 2018) – The H Collective announced today that they have acquired the rights from Revolution Studios to the global hit xXx film franchise alongside its star and producer, Vin Diesel and his One Race Films. Revolution Studios retains its rights to the first three films.  D.J. Caruso (xXx: Return of Xander Cage, I Am Number Four, Disturbia) will return to direct xXx 4 with Diesel reprising his role as “Xander Cage.” Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum will produce with Diesel, Samantha Vincent for One Race Films and The H Collective. Production is slated for December 2018.

The xXx franchise, which includes xXx, xXx: State of the Union, and xXx: Return of Xander Cage has collectively grossed nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box-office.

The H Collective CEO Nic Crawley said: “During my time at Paramount I was lucky to be involved in the development and distribution of xXx: Return of Xander Cage. The response from the Chinese box office was unprecedented. Bringing the next installment of the xXx franchise to The H Collective complements our diversified slate and mission to produce content for a global audience.”

Diesel has starred in and produced the five highest-grossing films in the massively successful “Fast” franchise.  He voices ‘Groot’ in both the Guardians of the Galaxy films and will also appear in Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War this April.

Caruso directed the franchise’s previous installment xXx: Return of Xander Cage and is best known for his work on DreamWork’s thriller Eagle Eye starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan, as well as I am Number Four for Touchstone Pictures and Disturbia for Paramount. His TV credits include “The Shield” for FX which earned two Golden Globe® wins.

The H Collective, who will finance xXx 4 alongside investment partners including Sparkle Roll Media, HCH Media, Dadi Cinema, and Angeleno Studio, is currently in production on an Untitled Horror Feature produced by James Gunn starring Elizabeth Banks and is also in post-production on Christopher Cantwell’s The Parts You Lose.

Diesel is represented by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Caruso is represented by CAA and Media Talent Group.

ABOUT THE H COLLECTIVE
Launched in June, and with offices in Los Angeles, The H Collective is a global film finance, production, marketing and distribution company that is producing a diversified slate of four high-quality films per year.  The company established production deals with prominent producers such as James Gunn, Mark Johnson, Joe Roth, and Sid Ganis on a roster of films that encompasses Family/Comedy, Action/Adventure, Horror/Genre and Prestige fare. They are currently in post-production on Christopher Cantwell’s The Parts You Lose starring Aaron Paul, Scoot McNairy and Mary Elizabeth Winstead with Mark Johnson’s Gran Via Productions. The H Collective has recently formed a management arm with Chinese stars Li Bingbing and Karry Wang among the firm’s first talent.
For further information, visit: www.thehcollectivefilms.com.

ABOUT ONE RACE FILMS / ONE RACE TV
One Race Films, founded in 1995 by writer, director, producer and actor Vin Diesel, has produced the five highest-grossing films in the “Fast” franchise — Fate of the Furious, Furious 7, Fast and Furious 6, “Fast Five as well as Fast & Furious. He has directed Multifacial, Strays and Los Bandoleros. Previously, ORF launched multiple franchises in the action genre, including the science-fiction thriller Pitch Black and the two follow-up films, Chronicles of Riddick and Riddick, along with the hit xXx. In addition to a thriving film production company, ORF launched One Race Television and has the existing gaming company Tigon Studios.  One Race has a multi-year overall deal with Universal Television, through which the company is developing a reboot of “Miami Vice” for NBC, as well as “Get Christie Love,” which received a pilot production commitment from ABC.  Tigon Studios has produced three critically acclaimed console titles including Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and original property The Wheelman.

ABOUT REVOLUTION STUDIOS
Revolution Studios is a diversified entertainment company that owns, acquires and exploits film, television and stage productions.  Led by CEO Vince Totino and President and COO Scott Hemming, the company boasts one of the largest independent libraries of premium content, including 126 motion pictures which collectively earned more than $7.1 billion in box office receipts, as well as 240 television episodes.   Revolution recently produced xXx: Return of Xander Cage, as well as 46 of the motion pictures in its library, including Maid in Manhattan, Anger Management, Daddy Day Care, America’s Sweethearts, Hellboy, xXx, White Chicks and the Academy Award®-winning Black Hawk Down.  More recently, Revolution has acquired 80 movies through library acquisitions, including those of Morgan Creek International, Cold Spring Pictures and GK Films.  Originally founded by Joe Roth in 2000, the company was acquired by Content Partners in 2017

Vin Diesel / One Race Films And The H Collective Acquire Rights to "xXx" Franchise From Revolution Studios

This May, "LAUGH-IN" Skewers the Me Generation with THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON, Available on 5/8

IN 1970, TELEVISION'S LANDMARK VARIETY SERIES AND POP CULTURE PHENOMENON ENTERED THE ME DECADE WITH BITING COMEDY AND STAR POWER IN EQUAL MEASURE

ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON

Street Date: May 8, 2018
DVD SRP: $39.95

Available for the Very First Time at Retail, The 7-Disc Set Features 26 Complete, Remastered Episodes from the Emmy® And Golden Globe®-Winning Series; Season Four Guest Stars Include Truman Capote, Art Carney, Johnny Carson, Wilt Chamberlain, Carol Channing, Tim Conway, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Rich Little, Bob Newhart, Vincent Price, Carl Reiner, Debbie Reynolds, Don Rickles, Rod Serling, Orson Welles, and Many More!

PROGRAM SYNOPSIS

The '60s gave us "in-crowds," "be-ins" and "love-ins," and starting in 1968, the happening place for free-form comedy was Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, broadcast from beautiful downtown Burbank. Straight man Dan Rowan and wisecracking co-host Dick Martin led a gaggle of goofballs through a rapid-fire assault of one-liners, skits, bits and non sequiturs that left viewers in hysterics and disbelief. Anything and anyone in the public eye was a target. Political correctness? Forget it!

The groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning show anchored the Monday 8 p.m. time slot on NBC until March 12, 1973 and this May, Time Life delivers another unparalleled installment of this landmark variety show with ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON.

Don Rickles impersonating Arlene Francis? A boxing match between Sammy Davis Jr. and Wilt Chamberlain? What will the Laugh-In brain trust think of next? Across the 26 rip-roaring, yuk-a-minute episodes included on ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON home audiences will be treated to unforgettable sketches including Art Carney as the Masked Lobster looking for work and Goldie Hawn returning after winning an Oscar for Cactus Flower -- along with her new attitude.

The phone line again sizzles when Ernestine (Lily Tomlin) rings up Aristotle Onassis and Gore Vidal, whom she queries about Myra Breckinridge (keep an eye on her dialing finger). Vidal's feuding foe William F. Buckley Jr. drops by for a surprising question and answer session with the cast. Larger-than-life Zero Mostel pantomimes a day in his life in four brilliant minutes, while larger-than-two lives Orson Welles hosts a Halloween Boo-In.

On top of those and long-running classic sketches as "Cocktail Party," "Joke Wall," "The Farkle Family" and "Gladys and Tyrone," THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON trots out many of the 20th century's biggest headliners and personalities. Luminaries appearing includes Joey Bishop, William F.Buckley, Truman Capote, Art Carney, Johnny Carson, Wilt Chamberlain, Carol Channing, Tim Conway, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Phyllis Diller, David Frost, Andy Griffith, Peter Lawford, Rich Little, Bob Newhart, Vincent Price, Carl Reiner, Debbie Reynolds, Don Rickles, Rod Serling, Orson Welles, Flip Wilsonand many more!

The set also includes two new-to-retail, specially-produced bonus features: interviews with Lily Tomlin and Arte Johnson.

CAST
Dan Rowan
Dick Martin
Lily Tomlin
Ruth Buzzi
Arte Johnson
Gary Owens
Alan Sues
Ann Elder
Dennis Allen
Barbara Sharma
Johnny Brown

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Format: DVD/7 Discs
Running Time: 1384 minutes
Genre: TV DVD/Comedy
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Stereo

This May, "LAUGH-IN" Skewers the Me Generation with THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON, Available on 5/8

"ALIEN: DESCENT" Location Based VR Experience Announced Today

FOXNEXT AND PURE IMAGINATION STUDIOS PARTNER TO TRANSPORT GUESTS INTO THE ALIEN UNIVERSE

WITH "ALIEN: DESCENT"

A FREE-ROAMING VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE

Recruit your squad starting on April 26, ALIEN Day, at Outlets at Orange in Orange County

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 18, 2018) – Pure Imagination Studios and FoxNext Destinations will open ALIEN: DESCENT, a cutting-edge free-roaming virtual reality experience at The Outlets at Orange in Orange County on April 26. Additional locations will be announced soon. Tickets can be reserved now at AlienDescent.com.

Set in the ALIEN universe, guests join an elite squad of Colonial Marines sent to investigate a distress signal from a Weyland-Yutani mining outpost. Just before losing contact, the facility reported a mysterious infestation. It’s up to the guests and their squad to contain the threat, quarantine any survivors and get everyone to safety. While on the mission, guests move freely through the immersive space battling aliens, ranging from face-huggers to full-grown Xenomorphs.

ALIEN: DESCENT features a first-of-its-kind wireless technology developed by Pure Imagination Studios. The technology allows up to four guests to move about freely in VR, without the use of PC backpacks or wires. Each guest is armed with a custom-designed weapon and motion-tracking sensors on their arms and legs. Environmental effects, motion platforms and other surprises that simulate the descent into the heart of the Alien threat enhance the experience.

“ALIEN: DESCENT’s story-first approach is at the forefront of the location-based VR experiences that we’re rolling out. Our goal at Pure Imagination Studios has always been to push the boundaries of what’s possible — VR attractions are the perfect medium to do just that. Partnering with the forward-thinking team at FoxNext made for a potent combination of storytelling minds and innovative thinking to set a new benchmark for destination entertainment,” said Joshua Wexler, co-founder of Pure Imagination Studios.

“VR attractions bring together immersive entertainment with social experiences that can’t be replicated in the living room. The rich storytelling opportunities in the Alien universe makes it a perfect fit for cutting-edge destination entertainment. Plus, who doesn’t want to battle Xenomorphs and save the world?” said Salil Mehta, president of FoxNext.

“We're thrilled to allow guests the freedom to experience and engage in VR without the need of a cumbersome backpack.  The dream is to allow guests to fully immerse themselves, let loose, and have fun,” said Rob Taylor, co-creator of the experience from Pure Imagination Studios.

ALIEN: DESCENT opens April 26, ALIEN Day, at the Outlets at Orange. Tickets can be reserved at AlienDescent.com. The Outlets at Orange is located at the intersection of I-5 and State Highways 22 and 57 in Orange, California. More information can be found at simon.com/mall/the-outlets-at-orange.

ALIEN DAY returns on April 26, 2018 for an epic third annual global celebration of the iconic sci-fi franchise. ALIEN DAY is a nod to planet LV-426 from the landmark ALIEN film. For more information on all ALIEN DAY activities go to AlienUniverse.com.

About Pure Imagination Studios
Pure Imagination Studios is an award-winning independent entertainment studio that brings content and experiences to life across existing platforms while at the same time forging new ones. Through the combination of proprietary technology and groundbreaking storytelling the studio brings the next generation of entertainment to audiences of all ages across all platforms. Pure Imagination is led by an experienced group of storytellers, dreamers, doers, mad-scientists and experiential engineers who have designed, built, produced and worked with some of the most iconic brands in the world from clients including Warner Bros., FOX, DreamWorks, Marvel Entertainment, LEGO, Universal Studios, Merlin Entertainments, Six Flags and others. Their portfolio of projects have expanded fan engagement on multiple platforms including a diverse slate of animated television shows, cultural experiences, digital-series, theme park attractions, virtual and augmented reality immersive experiences, projection mapping shows and more. Pure Imagination Studios is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. Visit:  pistudios.com

About FoxNext
FoxNext expands the storytelling universes of our most cherished franchises at Twentieth Century Fox Film and Fox Networks Group through virtual reality, games and location-based entertainment. FoxNext pushes the boundaries by enabling the best creators and innovators to share their stories across an ever-growing spectrum of emerging platforms. The division consists of FoxNext Games, FoxNext VR Studio and FoxNext Destinations.

About FoxNext Destinations
FoxNext Destinations, a division of FoxNext, is developing themed entertainment destinations that immerse guests in the company's iconic film and TV brands. Current projects include 2017 THEA winner Springfield, USA and 2009 THEA winner The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando, Alien: Descent, a free-roaming VR experience, and Avatar: Discover Pandora, a new interactive exhibition inspired by the breathtaking environments and inspirational cultures of Pandora. Other projects include FX's American Horror Story at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights and the 20th Century Fox World theme park in Malaysia, currently in development.

"ALIEN: DESCENT" Location Based VR Experience Announced Today