"First Squad" Award-Winning Anime Acquired by Anchor Bay Entertainment

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Anchor Bay Entertainment announced today it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the award-winning animated thriller First Squad The Moment of Truth from LA-based XYZ Films.  The film was created and written by Misha Sprits and Aljosha Klimov and directed by Yoshiharu Ashino (Pokemon: Jirachi-Wish Maker, Piglets Big Movie).  The film was produced by Molot Films and Studio 4C.

First Squad has garnered several nominations and awards including the Kommersant Newspaper’s Prizes at the Moscow International Film Festival, as well as Best Animated Feature at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.  The film has also screened at the Locarno , Moscow , Tallinn , Sitges and Fantastic Fest Film Festivals.

“First Squad offers fans a unique storyline about WWII and has received noticed from several film festivals,” commented Anchor Bay Entertainment President Bill Clark.  “ Anchor Bay is pleased to be releasing the film on both DVD and Blu-ray later this summer.”

The deal for First Squad was negotiated by James Shapiro and Kevin Carney for Anchor Bay Entertainment / Manga Entertainment and Todd Brown for XYZ Films.

Set during the opening days of World War II on the Eastern Front, its main cast is a group of Soviet teens with extraordinary abilities.  The teenagers have been drafted to form a special unit to fight the invading German army.  They are opposed by a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer who is attempting to raise from the dead a supernatural army of crusaders from the 12th Century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause. 

Studio 4C is one of the most respected animation houses in the world, responsible for overseeing the ANIMATRIX project for Warner Brothers while also producing an impressive slate of hugely acclaimed titles of their own including the GENIUS PARTY anthology films, Masaaki Yuasa’s MIND GAME and Michael Arias’ TEKKON KINKREET. First Squad marks Molot Films first picture and the company is currently preparing additional animated projects that will start production later this year.

About XYZ Films

XYZ FILMS is an LA-based film production and sales company founded by partners Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian.  XYZ's production slate includes Ole Bornedal’s DEATH OF HOSTESS along with Endgame Entertainment; the action-thriller LAND OF THE FREE to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh; a heist film with Darren Aronofsky (THE WRESTLER); and a crime thriller about automotive maverick John DeLorean with Alex Holmes ("House of Saddam"). Several of XYZ’s projects were cultivated from an exclusive one year partnership with Time Inc., the publisher of such magazines as Time, Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated and Life. Twitchfilm.net founder and editor-in-chief Todd Brown joined the company in 2009 as a partner and serves as its Head of Acquisitions.

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. It is the exclusive distributor in the U.S. of the theatrical titles from Overture Films. 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 Capital Group.

"First Squad" Award-Winning Anime Acquired by Anchor Bay Entertainment

"The Warlords" & "The Eclipse" - on DVD and Blu-ray June 29

Jet Li Stars In The Lavish And Heroic Tale THE WARLORDS, Arriving On Blu-ray Disc And DVD June 29 From Magnolia Home Entertainment Under The Magnet Releasing Label As Part of the Six Shooter Film Series

Winner Of Eight Hong Kong Film Awards Including Best Picture, Best Director And Best Actor

“Jet Li shines in this elaborately choreographed, action-packed Chinese historical epic.”
– New York Magazine

"Emotionally powerful. Spectacular action. Jet Li dominates the drama whenever he's onscreen."
– Variety

“An impressively gargantuan, highly watchable Chinese battle epic.”
– Village Voice

Love, politics and loyalty collide in THE WARLORDS, one of the most sweeping epics in the history of modern Chinese cinema.  Set in the midst of the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s, the magnificently engrossing film was a massive critical and commercial success in China.  Starring Jet Li (The Mummy 3, Hero), Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers) and Takeshi Kaneshiro (Red Cliff, House Of Flying Daggers), THE WARLORDS tells the story of General Pang (Li), a battalion commander who barely survives a brutal massacre that leaves all of his fellow soldiers dead.  Pang joins a passing group of bandits led by Er Hu (Lau) and Wu Yang (Kaneshiro) and helps them defend a helpless village from attackers.  The three men swear an oath to become “blood brothers,” pledging loyalty to one another until death.  Pang then convinces his brothers to join him in the army to earn an honest living, but things quickly derail when they become embroiled in a web of political deceit and a love triangle between Pang, Er Hu and a beautiful woman.

Embark On An Eerie Tale As The Ghost Story, The Eclipse, Arrives On Blu-ray Disc and DVD June 29 From Magnolia Home Entertainment.

"A smart, scary, spine-tinglingly matter-of-fact ghost story."
- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

"A GEM. A lovely tale of grief, love and moving on.”
- Marshall Fine, Huffington Post

“…eerie story of a widower and his brush with the supernatural has the amazing dual effect of being both sweetly moving and really creepy.”
- Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Ciarán Hinds (There Will Be Blood, Margot at the Wedding) won the Best Actor award at the Tribeca Film Festival for his “…marvelously understated, but full-bodied performance" (Marshall Fine, Huffington Post) as Michael Farr, a widowed father who believes that his house is haunted.  Michael sparks interest in a visiting horror novelist, Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle; Defiance, High Fidelity), who writes books about ghosts and the supernatural.  However, Lena has been having an affair with the world-renowned novelist Nicholas Holden (Aidan Quinn; “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” Legends of the Fall).  Both authors are visiting the town for an international literary festival, and as the festival progresses, the trajectories of these three people draws them into a life-altering collision involving challenges of love, fear of the unknown and release from the burden of grief.

The Warlords [Blu-ray]
Warlords
The Eclipse [Blu-ray]
The Eclipse

"The Warlords" & "The Eclipse" - on DVD and Blu-ray June 29

FANGORIA FrightFest! Eight Terrifying Tales Coming to DVD in September

Fangoria® Magazine Partners With Lightning Media™ to Launch Unique, Multi-Tiered Distribution Program Under 'Fangoria FrightFest' Banner

Eight New, Terrifying, Feature-Length Horror/Thrillers Available on DVD, VOD & Digital Download Sept. 28, Featuring Such Stars as Twilight Saga's Xavier Samuel, Calista Flockhart, Keri Russell, Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts & More

Targeted Marketing, Advertising & Viral Campaign to Support Program
Includes Fan-Driven 'Demand It' Film Festival Competition

LOS ANGELES - June 2, 2010 - Fangoria magazine has partnered with feature film producer/distributor and DVD/VOD distributor Lightning Media to launch a unique, multi-tiered distribution program, it was announced today. Highlighting the program are eight feature-length horror/thrillers which will be collectively - and exclusively - marketed under a Fangoria FrightFest banner.

As part of the multi-faceted program, fans will be the voting jury in a mini film festival "Demand It" competition from June 21 through July 19, hosted by Fangoria, to select one of the eight films for limited theatrical release in late July (www.FangoriaFrightFest.com). Fans will be able to view and vote for their favorite trailer and will then be automatically entered into a summer consumer sweepstakes to win a trip to Las Vegas and other prizes.

Also, from June 21 through July 19, a 30-minute special, 8 Fangoria Frights, will be available on Time Warner, Comcast, Cablevision, Verizon FIOS and other cable systems (Check with your provider and look for Fangoria FrightFest  in your "Movies on Demand" menu). Hosted by Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever), the program will feature clips from the films, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with many of the films' directors.

The Fangoria FrightFest line-up represents a diversified array of quality genre enter-
tainment, embracing a range of horror film styles, from supernatural chillers to psychological horror and slasher flicks, embracing fans of every demographic. These eight new, terrifying, feature-length horror/thrillers feature such stars as the Twilight saga's Xavier Samuel, Calista Flockhart, Keri Russell, Michael Madsen, Eric Roberts and more.

Films included in the Fangoria FrightFest promotion are:

Fragile - An atmospheric ghost story from Spanish director Jaume Balagueró (the [REC] trilogy, Darkness), Fragile received widespread critical acclaim overseas and makes its much-anticipated U.S. debut. Amy Nicholls (Calista Flockhart, Brothers & Sisters), the new night nurse at a soon-to-be-abandoned children's hospital, readies the last group of orphans to leave.  But it becomes increasingly clear that these are not normal children. An official selection at multiple U.S. and international film festivals, it was the winner of "Best Actress," "Best Cinematography" and "Best Editing" at the Barcelona Film Awards; "Best Special Effects" at the Goya Awards; and the "Audience Award," "Special Jury Prize" and "Youth Jury Grand Prize" at the Gerardmer Film Festival.
Rated PG-13 / Running Time: 95 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55600 / UPC: 6-25828-55600-5

The Tomb (aka Ligeia) - Director Michael Staininger's updated adaptation of the classic Edgar Allan Poe tale The Tomb of Ligeia.  Successful writer and scholar Jonathan Merrick (Wes Bentley, American Beauty, Ghost Rider) falls under the spell of the bewitching beauty Ligeia, who is fighting a fatal illness. Willing to stop at nothing in a quest for immortality, Ligeia plots to steal souls … beginning with Jonathan's. Co-starring Michael Madsen (Kill Bill) and Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) and produced by Jeff Most (The Crow). The film was an official selection of the Saint Louis International Film Festival.
Rated R / Running Time: 90 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55690 / UPC: 6-25828-55690-6

Grimm Love (aka Rohtenburg and Butterfly: A Grimm Story) - In this fact-based thriller, German graduate student Katie Armstrong (Keri Russell, Waitress, TV's Felicity) is researching cannibalistic killer Oliver Hartwin (Thomas Kretschmann, King Kong, The Stendhal Syndrome) for her thesis. Obsessed with her subject, she plunges into "the lifestyle."  Directed by Martin Weisz (The Hills Have Eyes II), Grimm Love was an official selection at numerous U.S. and international film festivals, winning "Best Director," "Best Actor" and "Best Cinema-tographer" at the Sitges Film Festival; "Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver" at the Luxembourg International Film Festival; "Best Actor" and "Best Director" at the Puchon Inter-national Fantastic Film Festival; and "Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Gold - Special Mention" at the Sweden Fantastic Film Festival.
Rated R / Running Time: 85 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55720 / UPC: 6-25828-55720-0

Road Kill (aka Road Train) - An Australian surprise starring emerging heartthrob Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and festival favorite The Loved Ones).  In this supernatural thriller, a group of teenagers (including Samuel) embark on a road trip and find themselves menaced by a driver-less truck in the Australian outback. Directed by Dean Francis, the film was an official selection at London's Barbican Australian Film Festival and the Dungog Film Festival.
Rated R / Running Time: 87 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55620 / UPC: 6-25828-55620-3

Dark House - Directed by writer/producer Darin Scott (Tales From the Hood), this thriller is a high-tech take on the traditional "haunted house," featuring a charismatically maniacal performance by horror legend Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, The Frighteners, Star Trek).  Winner of "Best Feature" at the Shriekfest Horror Film Festival.
Rated R / Running Time: 85 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55670 / UPC: 6-25828-55670-8

Hunger - Steven Hentges' shocker stars Lori Heuring (Wicked Little Things, The In Crowd) in a physically and psychologically demanding role. Five strangers (including Heuring) find themselves trapped in an underground dungeon. Realizing they are the subjects of a sadistic experiment to test the depths of a human being's will to survive, their hunger increases as their humanity fades. An official selection of the Austin and Hollywood film festivals.
Rated R / Running Time: 102 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55560 / UPC: 6-25828-55560-2

Pig Hunt - Called "Enjoyably offbeat hybrid horror" by Variety, this quirky action/thriller - directed by James Isaac (Skinwalkers, Jason X) - was a success story at 12 national and international film festivals. In Pig Hunt, a young man and his pals embark on a guys' weekend to hunt wild boars on his late uncle's remote ranch. But as the group treks deeper into the forest, the awful truth is revealed about his uncle's demise and the hunters become the hunted. Winner of the "Bronze Audience Award" at the Fantasia Film Festival and the "Gold Remi Award" at the Worldfest International Film Festival. 
Rated R / Running Time: 100 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55580 / UPC: 6-25828-55580-0

The Haunting (aka No-Do: The Beckoning) - This Spanish chiller from director Elio Quiroga (Fotos, La Hora Fria) was inspired by the Catholic Church's documentation of actual, unexplained supernatural phenomena in the '40s and stars Ana Torrent (Tesis) as a new mother driven to the brink of madness. An official selection at the Shriekfest Film Festival, Brussels International Film Festival and San Diego Latino Film Festival.
Rated R / Running Time: 95 Minutes / Catalog #: P4F-55710 / UPC: 6-25828-55710-1

About Lightning Media
Lightning Media, a division of Lightning Entertainment Group, Inc., headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., focuses on the worldwide distribution and licensing of quality independent feature films of a variety of genres and documentaries for theatrical, digital download and VOD; and, through Lionsgate and Phase 4, on DVD.

FANGORIA FrightFest! Eight Terrifying Tales Coming to DVD in September

Image Entertainment announces Blu-ray premiere of four classic HandMade Films titles on August 24th

“…regarded as one of the saviours of British film in the late 70s and 80s.” ---news.bbc.co.uk

IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES THE PREMIERE OF FOUR ACCLAIMED TITLES FROM HANDMADE FILMS ON BLU- RAY

“Time Bandits,” “Long Good Friday,” “Mona Lisa,” and “Withnail and I” remastered for HD premiere!


Chatsworth, CA – Once upon a time, in the far-away time of the late 1970s, two legends – one musical, one comic – bumped into each other on the street and in doing so, created history. When Eric Idle of Monty Python’s comedy troupe ran into his friend, ex-Beatle George Harrison, and lamented that his film had lost financing, he didn’t expect that Harrison would end up being the man to step in and pick up the reigns. But that’s exactly what happened.  As Harrison later remarked to a grateful Idle, “When The Beatles were breaking up, Python kept me sane, really, so I owe you one."

Thus HandMade Films was born. Harrison’s business manager, Denis O’Brien, was drafted to oversee the finances of the new cinematic concern; Harrison came up with the “manual” company name and “Python” alum Director Terry Gilliam sketched out the now-ubiquitous logo on a napkin. History was officially underway, a history comprised of an incomparable body of work that would become the artistic backbone of the British film industry in the 1980s.

On August 24, Image Entertainment celebrates HandMade’s three-decade heritage with the Blu-ray™ debut of four HandMade Films classics:  The Long Good Friday, Time Bandits, Mona Lisa and Withnail and I.  These are examples of British drama and humor at their finest: illuminating the human condition with sympathy, intelligence…and time travel! Fully remastered, all-new 1080p high-definition transfers have been created for the HD debut of these incomparable titles, and they will be available for an SRP of $17.97 each. In addition, the titles are also available via digital download exclusively on iTunes starting July 20th. Pre-book is July 27.

These classics from the HandMade Films library are ground-breaking and heart-breaking, candid and clever. The surprisingly compassionate portraits of the underworld in The Long Good Friday and the Oscar-nominated Mona Lisa, the eccentric fantasy of Time Bandits, the cynicism and black comedy of Withnail and I…each title is a prime example of the how filmgoers trusted the HandMade Films label for unrestrained creativity and brilliant storytelling.  Featuring stars such as Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Caine and more, they sparkle with talent and flair.  And, newly remastered on Blu-ray, with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio, these classics shine with a clarity never seen before!   


The Long Good Friday (1980)

Mob boss Harry Shand (Academy Award® nominee Bob Hoskins, Mona Lisa) runs an underworld empire, but his dreams are much bigger.  He and his sophisticated wife (Oscar® winner Helen Mirren, The Queen) aspire to partner with American mobsters to turn the barren docklands of London into a development for the upcoming Olympics.  But their perfect plan begins to unravel when a string of deadly bombings leads Shand to the stunning realization that he is being targeted by the IRA.  A bloody race ensues as Harry tries to keep hold of his crumbling schemes.


Time Bandits (1981)

Young Kevin’s daydreams come to life when a band of time-traveling little men crash through his bedroom wardrobe and carry him off on a hilarious crime spree – weaving through the greatest and strangest moments of history.  The pint-sized plunderers filch from Napoleon (Academy Award® nominee, Ian Holm, Chariots of Fire), Robin Hood (Academy Award® nominee, John Cleese, A Fish Called Wanda) King Agamemnon (Oscar® winner Sean Connery, The Untouchables) and others – leading to a showdown with the forces of Evil…and keeping ahead of the wrath of The Supreme Being himself!

Special Features

Terry Gilliam interview
An all-new video introduction with Terry Gilliam


Mona Lisa (1986)

An ex-convict, thug and a high-class call girl make for an unlikely trio in Academy Award® Neil Jordan’s (The Crying Game) tale of frustrated love on the cruel streets of London ’s underworld.  Bob Hoskins stars in his breakout performance, for which he landed an Oscar® nomination, as George, a working class hood whose obsession for the exotic and cunning Simone will lead him down a dark and bloody path.  The magnificent supporting cast includes Robbie Coltrane (the Harry Potter series), Sammi Davis (Hope and Glory) and two-time Academy Award®-winner Michael Caine.


Withnail and I (1987)

Acerbic and irresistibly self-destructive Withnail (Screen Actor’s Guild® winner, Richard E. Grant, Gosford Park ) and neurotic Marwood (Paul McGann) are down-at-heel actors in 1960’s London , living in squalor and drowning their artistic frustrations with booze and drugs.  Fleeing the doldrums of the city, the pair finds themselves in the less than idyllic country cottage of Withnail’s lascivious uncle Monty.  Their boundaries of friendship are tested by hunger, the hostile locals and Monty’s amorous advances in Director Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical cult favorite.


The Long Good Friday – Blu-ray
Street Date:                  August 24, 2010
Pre-book:                     July 27, 2010
Genre:                         Drama, Crime/Criminals, Mobsters/The Mafia, Suspense , United Kingdom
Languages:                   English
Format:                        Aspect Ratio 1.85:1; Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Audio:                          DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Year:                            1980
SRP :                            $17.97
Length:                         113 minutes
UPC :                            014381663556
Cat#:                            ID6635HHBD


Mona Lisa – Blu-ray
Street Date:                  August 24, 2010
Pre-book:                     July 27, 2010
Genre:                          Drama, Crime/Criminals, Romance , United Kingdom
Languages:                   English
Format:                        Aspect ratio 1.85:1; Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Audio:                          DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Year:                            1986
SRP :                            $17.97
Length:                         103 minutes
UPC :                            014381663655
Cat#:                            ID6636HHBD


Time Bandits – Blu-ray
Street Date:                  August 24, 2010
Pre-book:                     July 27, 2010
Genre:                          Action/Adventure, Comedy, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Magic, Time Travel
Languages:                   English
Format:                        Aspect Ratio 1.78:1; Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Audio:                          DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Year:                            1981
SRP :                            $17.97
Length:                         111 minutes
UPC :                            014381663358
Cat#:                            ID6633HHBD


Withnail and I – Blu-ray
Street Date:                  August 24, 2010
Pre-book:                     July 27, 2010
Genre:                          Comedy, Cult Classics, Friendships, Gay/Lesbian, Substance Abuse
Languages:                   English
Format:                        Aspect Ratio 1.77:1; Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs
Audio:                          DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Year:                            1987
SRP :                            $17.97
Length:                         107 minutes
UPC :                            014381663754
Cat#:                            ID6637HHBD

The Long Good Friday [Blu-ray]
Withnail and I (Ws Ac3 Dol Dts) [Blu-ray]
Mona Lisa (Ws Ac3 Dol Dts) [Blu-ray]
Time Bandits (Ws Ac3 Dol Dts) [Blu-ray]

Image Entertainment announces Blu-ray premiere of four classic HandMade Films titles on August 24th

LIVELIHOOD -- DVD review by porfle

Of all the zombie spoofs that seem to be clawing their way out of the grave these days, LIVELIHOOD (2005) is probably the cheapest. Director Ryan Graham managed to put it together for about four-thousand bucks, building much of his own equipment such as lights, camera dollies, and even a makeshift crane. He also put together a cast of enthusiastic performers who zapped their wacky characters into vibrant life and helped turn this off-the-wall screenplay into an often hilarious romp.

The story follows the lives (and deaths) of three main characters. First, there's 80s hair-metal rocker Billy Jump (Steve Thomas), who electrocutes himself one night just as he's finally discovered the perfect riff. Then there's perpetually cheerful shlub Alexander Keaton (Scott Graham), who thinks he has a wonderful marriage although his shrewish wife despises him, and thinks he's on the fast track to a promotion at work although his surly, abusive boss treats him like dog poop. While working late one night, Alexander is chased through the halls of his office building and then beheaded by a screaming samurai warrior. Finally, we have Roger and Jean (real-life couple Lewis and Amy Smith), whose marriage would be just peachy if Roger's domineering, over-possessive mother, Vida (Michelle Trout), didn't live with them and make Jean's life miserable. That is, until someone poisons the old bag and she croaks facedown in her tapioca pudding.

As so often happens in zombie movies, the dead suddenly start returning to life for no reason. This time, though, they're not interested in killing people or devouring their flesh--they just want to return to their former lives as though nothing had happened, which becomes a problem for the living when these reanimated corpses start showing up again. In Billy's case it actually turns out to be an advantage when shifty record exec Kris Kashgrab (John Bennett) conjures up a scheme to transform Billy's return into a big comeback event. Alexander has no such luck, however--he staggers home, duct tapes his head back onto his neck, and discovers his wife in bed with another woman. Ordered out of the house, he returns to work to find that he no longer has a job. As for Roger and Jean, the horribly decayed Vida's sudden reappearance as the mother-in-law from hell turns Jean's life into a waking nightmare, although mama's boy Roger is tickled pink.

The "Billy Jump" segments are okay although I found this storyline a bit tiresome after awhile. His bandmembers are pretty funny, and are played by actual members of the Dirty Maramaduke Flute Squad, which also includes director Graham on guitar. Putting the old band back together a la THE BLUES BROTHERS, Billy discovers that his lead guitarist and bassist are now an openly-gay couple, while his deaf keyboardist Beat Ovin (Mike Bennett) is tinkling the ivories in a snooty restaurant.

Alexander, who reminds me of alien leader Mathesar from GALAXY QUEST, finds forbidden love with his boss' misfit Goth daughter Zoey (Kara Webb), but their subplot isn't really all that exciting, either, until the surprise conclusion. The best part of LIVELIHOOD for me was the mother-in-law story. Amy Smith's energetic performance as Jean is consistently good, and the escalating tensions between her and Vida, with doofus Roger in the middle of it all, finally culminate in a wild free-for-all battle to the death that's wonderfully staged.

Gross-out moments include the vomit-inducing tapioca pudding scene (the second one, that is), a couple of groupies collecting Billy's body parts to sell on eBay, the equally vomit-inducing apple cobbler scene, and other comically disturbing highlights. The return of the dead also results in some great new television programming, such as a soap opera entitled "The Dead and the Breathless", a take-off on those Matthew Lesko infomercials which promises "Free Money Now!" for the dead, and a really wrong commercial for a product that claims to cure the zombie malady known as Deteriorating Bowel Syndrome.

As can be expected from a movie with so many gags flying fast and furious, LIVELIHOOD is pretty uneven and some sequences tend to drag. Still, the cast is so talented and the script (by Ryan and Tracey Graham and Curtis Crispin) so packed with bizarre jokes and ridiculous references that I was kept fairly entertained most of the time. Several of the scenes resemble good sketch comedy found on such series as Mr. Show. In fact, there's a fake music video by country singer Junior "The Senior" Young Jenkins III for his song, "Leave the US to the Livin'", which bears a striking similarity to the fake country music videos featured in Mr. Show's "Blow Up the Moon" episode.

One of my favorite sequences is the one in which Roger's abrasive, zombie-hating boss, Larry Tate (Davon Hall), shows up for dinner on a Rascal scooter with his bimbo wife Lucy, while Vida does everything she can to disrupt the occasion and get Roger fired (leading to the aforementioned "apple cobbler" scene.) I think this entire storyline could've easily been expanded into a separate movie of its own.

As for extras, not only are there two cast and crew commentary tracks, but a second disc of stuff as well. The deleted scenes are mostly better off deleted, and some of them, such as Alexander's long, dead-serious monologue to Zoey about his parents getting killed by a drunk driver, make you wonder what the hell they were thinking. The bloopers are pretty good but are interesting mainly for some glimpses of low-tech SPFX wizardry such as the "flying plates" scene. This is also true of the featurette "MacGyver DIY Filmmaking", in which Ryan Graham gives a highly-instructive demonstration of how to build your own moviemaking equipment on the cheap. Finally, there's a short about the Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad ("The Real Billy Jump Band"), which is interesting although I don't plan on purchasing any of their CDs anytime soon.

Watching LIVELIHOOD is like going through a buffet blindfolded--you have to take the bad with the good. But it's a respectable effort for such a low-budget flick and the talent in front of and behind the camera makes it pleasantly watchable and, at times, downright funny.




(Note: This review was originally posted at Bumscorner.com in 2008 and covers the DVD edition that is pictured above.)

Buy it at Amazon.com

LIVELIHOOD -- DVD review by porfle

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (June 1-14)

Been occupied with health issues for the last several weeks so I'm going to try and catch up a little. Hope somebody out there missed me.


JUNE 1

1:00pm  Some Like It Hot (1959)  
Two musicians on the run from gangsters masquerade as members of an all-girl band.
Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft Dir: Billy Wilder BW-121 mins, TV-PG

Only Billy Wilder could take a one joke film and make it a classic. And Marilyn just walking away from the camera out acts everybody else.

10:00pm  Rocky (1976) 
A dimwitted boxer fights to prove he can go the distance against a glamorous champ.
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers Dir: John G. Avildsen C-120 mins, TV-14

For years everyone thought Stallone was that guy but everyone always forgets he wrote the original screenplay.  Forget the endless sequels see this original masterpiece.


JUNE 2

9:30pm   African Queen, The (1951)  
A grizzled skipper and a spirited missionary take on the Germans in Africa during World War I.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull Dir: John Huston C-105 mins, TV-PG

Action, Adventure, but most important it's a tender love story told by a master director with two great actors.


JUNE 3

4:45pm  Operation Petticoat (1959)  
During World War II, the crew of a decrepit submarine takes on a team of Navy nurses.
Cast: Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Joan O'Brien, Dina Merrill Dir: Blake Edwards C-121 mins, TV-G

Cary Grant shows how easily he did "Cary Grant". Tony Curtis studied his every move so he could channel him for "Some like it Hot", but all in all a cute film.

JUNE 4

10:00pm  20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)  
A renegade sea captain uses a pioneering submarine to force peace on the world.
Cast: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre Dir: Richard Fleischer C-127 mins, TV-G

Disney does Verne. (actually does him well too.)


JUNE 5

5:15am  Perversion For Profit (1965)
This anti-porn documentary shows a floodtide of filth engulfing the country in the form of newsstand obscenity
Cast: George Putnam narrates. BW-31 mins, TV-MA
EVERYBODY needs to see this film. A laugh a minute. Light up a joint, put one of my porn films in the DVD player for afterwards and enjoy.

12:00pm  Paint Your Wagon (1970)  
Two California miners share a gold claim and a wife.
Cast: Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg, Harve Presnell Dir: Joshua Logan C-159 mins, TV-14

Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood sing!! Not really, I wouldn't call it singing, but Harve Presnell does "Maria" justice. Over done but I still love this film.


JUNE 6

10:15am   Strangers On A Train(1951)  
A man's joking suggestion that he and a chance acquaintance trade murders turns deadly.
Cast: Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll Dir: Alfred Hitchcock BW-101 mins, TV-PG

I know some people will argue but...Hitchcock never made a better film.


JUNE 7

4:15am  Defiant Ones, The (1958)  
Two convicts, a white racist and an angry black, escape while chained to each other.
Cast: Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Theodore Bikel, Charles McGraw Dir: Stanley Kramer BW-96 mins, TV-PG

A white guy chained to a black guy (and a better looking guy at that). They sure knew how to punish those white boys in the south..


JUNE 8

It's  The Saint day on TCM.  6 different  Saint movies in a row and the first one stars my favorite movie Saint... Louis Hayward. (But here is a shout out to Roger Moore who was a much better Saint on TV then he was a James Bond in the movies)


JUNE 9

7, count them 7 Bride movies in a row. (and not one Brother. Come on TCM no 7 Brides for 7 Brothers? And why not program them on the 7th.  Which programer missed that one.).  Not to the taste of this 3x marriage loser.


JUNE 10

8:00pm  Diabolique (1955)  
A cruel man's wife and lover plot to kill him. Cast: Paul Meurisse, Vera Clouzot, Simone Signoret, Charles Vanei Dir: Henri-Georges Clouzot BW-116 mins, TV-14

The French do Noir. And do it damn well.

2:15am  Deadly Affair, The (1966) 
A secret agent investigates the tangled affairs surrounding a government official's suicide. Cast: James Mason, Simone Signoret, Maximilian Schell, Harriet Andersson Dir: Sidney Lumet. C-107 mins, TV-14

Lumet does La Carre, and nobody does it better than La Carre.


JUNE 11

A full day of  Jacques Cousteau. 19 full hours of the undersea world. Don't tell me, I'll bet it's his Birthday. What's that you say,  you don't like underwater footage...swim for your life.

JUNE 12

12:30am  Bullitt (1968) 
When mobsters kill the witness he was assigned to protect, a dedicated policeman investigates the case on his own.
Cast: Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon Dir: Peter Yates C-114 mins, TV-MA

Forget the famous car chase (which is just as good as it is reported to be).  This film is a taunt tight little cop film that stands on it's own without the chase.


JUNE 13

3:00pm   Judgment At Nuremberg(1961)  
An aging American judge presides over the trial of Nazi war criminals.
Cast: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich Dir: Stanley Kramer BW-179 mins, TV-14

I'd watch Spencer Tracy read the phone book. And Burt Lancaster acts against type. A damn powerful film.

9:30pm  All the King's Men (1949)  
A backwoods politician rises to the top only to become corrupted.
Cast: Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Joanne Dru, John Derek Dir: Robert Rossen BW-110 mins, TV-PG

A film so good it almost makes me forget about that damned book report I had to write in college.

JUNE 14

1:45am   Rebel Without a Cause(1955) 
An alienated teenager tries to handle life's troubles and an apron-wearing dad.
Cast: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Dennis Hopper Dir: Nicholas Ray C-111 mins, TV-PG

James Dean shows why he is a legend even with so few films to show and Jim Backus makes you forget all about Mr. Magoo.

Carter Stevens' Guide to TCM This Week (June 1-14)

THE FALLING -- movie review by porfle

Archangels come to Earth to do battle once again with the minions of Lucifer in THE FALLING (2006), only this time they aren't allowed to get directly involved so they recruit a human cop named Grayson (Scott Gabelein) to get jiggy with Ol' Scratch. And since the budget is practically non-existent, we get home-video-level cinematography, acting that's not all that hot, and long stretches of dull dialogue between a few action scenes. On the plus side, some of this almost accidentally manages to be mildly entertaining.

At least everyone involved takes it seriously and seems to be trying their best. The main archangel, Michael (Rory Colin Fretland), who looks a bit like a clean-shaven Ron Jeremy with icy-blue contacts, reveals the existence of a lost book of the Bible--"The Proclamation of Michael"--to a priest named Father McQueen (Donovan Marley). It tells of a coming war between the forces of God and Lucifer which will decide the fate of Mankind forever and all that. Big L himself (Michael Ayden) shows up looking like a nattily-dressed male model, calls himself Eric Laceon, and goes around sneering at the archangels and putting the moves on Grayson's sister Kristy (Tellier Killaby). After struggling with his faith for awhile, Grayson finally mans up enough to go mano-a-mano with Lucifer in a field somewhere with the archangels solemnly looking on.

Writer-director Nicholas Gyeney tries to make some of the dialogue scenes seem more kinetic by whipping the camera back and forth between characters, which just gives the direction a haphazard look. When Grayson takes on Lucifer's motley minions, Gyeney (with his editor's hat on) does a pretty good job of piecing together the snippets of action to make them flow. He also comes up with some fairly cool images here and there, such as the scene in which Lucifer stands on a dock and brings forth a couple of naked goons from the boiling water of a lake. As this is his first time as a director, Gyeney may have the potential for better films in his future.

The acting, on the whole, is pretty amateurish. Gabelein has his moments as Grayson, and Ayden is somewhat effective as a low-key Lucifer, especially when he's filling an uncertain Grayson's ears with persuasive lies and half-truths. Fretland's "Michael", on the other hand, looks as though he's been scarfing a little too much angel food cake, and the rest of the archangels seem to have been recruited from a bus stop somewhere. Marley is pretty good as Father McQueen, who gets kidnapped by the bad guys early on and makes a surprise reappearance at the end. Justin Dillon and Jason Thayer are adequately vile as Lucifer's lackeys Belial and Leviathan.

The story takes forever to get going, and after what feels like an endless amount of build-up the movie's already almost over. What's more, the ending is so wide-open and full of loose ends that it practically screams "continued in next movie." While THE FALLING isn't all that bad for a no-budget actioner, I'm not sure I'm all that excited about a sequel.

Buy it at Amazon.com

THE FALLING -- movie review by porfle

Anchor Bay Entertainment prepares you for the AFTER.LIFE! Coming to DVD and Blu-ray August 3rd

LIAM NEESON, CHRISTINA RICCI, AND JUSTIN LONG STAR IN THE ANCHOR BAY FILMS’ THRILLER "AFTER.LIFE"

On DVD and Blu-ray™ Tuesday, August 3rd

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Liam Neeson (Taken, Star Wars 1: The Phantom Menace), Christina Ricci (The Addams Family, Penelope), and Justin Long (He’s Just Not That Into You, Drag Me to Hell) star in the psychological thriller After.Life, on DVD and Blu-ray™ on Tuesday, August 3rd from Anchor Bay Entertainment (Pre-Book July 1st).  Directed by Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo, and released theatrically by Anchor Bay Films, After.Life tells the story of a young woman (Ricci) caught between life and death and a funeral director (Neeson) who appears to have the gift of transitioning the dead, but might just be intent on burying her alive.  SRP is $29.98 for the DVD and $34.98 for the Blu-ray™ edition.

The After.Life DVD and Blu-ray™ bonus features include audio commentary with Co-Writer/Director Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo, Delving Into The After.Life: The Art of Making a Thriller, and the theatrical trailer.How often do we appreciate something only when we lose it?  In After.Life, Anna’s (Christina Ricci) quest for love and happiness takes a macabre turn when, after a car accident, she wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon (Liam Neeson) preparing her body.  He calmly tells her she’s dead. Her funeral is in three days time.  As Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her death, her boyfriend Paul (Justin Long) begins to suspect Eliot may not be who he appears to be.  Does Eliot truly have the gift to talk to the dead and help them transition to the afterlife?  Or is he concealing a more sinister secret?  With its constant edge of menace, After.Life is a stylish psychological thriller that provocatively blurs the razor thin line between life and death.  

AFTER.LIFE DVD
Street Date:               August 3, 2010
Pre-book:                   July 1, 2010
Cat. #:                         AF21688
UPC:                           0 1313 21428-9 0
Run Time:                   103 minutes
Rating:                        Rated R for nudity, disturbing images, language and brief sexuality.
SRP:                           $29.97
Format:                       2.40:1 / 16x9
Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:                    English SDH, Spanish
Bonus Features:        Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Director Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo
                                    Delving Into The After.Life: The Art of Making a Thriller
Theatrical Trailer

AFTER.LIFE BLU-RAY™
Street Date:               August 3, 2010
Pre-book:                   July 1, 2010
Cat. #:                         BD21691
UPC:                           0 1313 21691-9 4
Run Time:                   103 minutes
Rating:                        Rated R
SRP:                           $34.98
Format:                       2.40:1 / 16x9
Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM 5.1
Subtitles:                    English SDH, Spanish
Bonus Features:        Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Director Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo
                                    Delving Into The After.Life: The Art of Making a Thriller
Theatrical Trailer

Buy it at Amazon.com:
After.Life [Blu-ray]
After.Life

Anchor Bay Entertainment prepares you for the AFTER.LIFE! Coming to DVD and Blu-ray August 3rd

CULT BRAND TARTAN BRINGS IN NEW LEADERSHIP TO REVIVE BRAND

LOS ANGELES — For immediate release ­ Vin Roberti, Chairman of Palisades Media Corp., announced today that veteran industry executive, Soumya Sriraman, has been named President and CEO of Palisades Tartan US and UK.

"Soumya's executive background with the studios and entrepreneurial spirit coupled with her fresh perspective and keen insights make her an ideal fit for our growing company," stated Roberti. "We are looking forward to her immediate contributions."

Sriraman added, “Vin’s track record of success with Palisades is reflected in the amazing catalog and team he has built.  I am a huge fan of the Tartan catalog and plan to aggressively rebuild the brand and introduce US audiences to a new collection of cutting-edge and remarkable films.”

Palisades Tartan has emerged as one of the premier distributors of independent and arthouse cinema in the US and UK and has been on the forefront of consumer trends.  Straddling both continents, their film line-up boasts an impressive repertoire in the UK including the Ingmar Bergman library, Takashi Miike’s AUDITION, horror phenom THE RING and INFERNAL AFFAIRS, which was successfully remade in the US and titled THE DEPARTED. Apart from many favorites such as Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs and Carlos Reygadas’s Silent Light, the US library is anchored by Park Chan-wook’s Cannes jury prize winner, OLDBOY, the film that famously introduced the Western World to the Asia Extreme brand.

Roberti and Sriraman added that they planned to aggressively build the Palisades Tartan brand in the US and UK territories with new strategic acquisitions and mergers over the coming year.  Sriraman remarked that despite shrinking shelf space, newer delivery mechanisms including digital represented a significant opportunity offering consumers many viewing modes to whet their appetite for independent films.

Sriraman entered into an undisclosed multi-year contract with the company and will be relocating to New York from Los Angeles.  She will immediately begin representing the company at the major film markets worldwide and aggressively source new partnerships.

Most recently, Sriraman was Senior Vice President at Universal Music and Video Distribution¹s filmed entertainment arm, Vivendi.  As one of the early members on the Vivendi core executive team, she helmed the growth of the company¹s home entertainment, theatrical and TV divisions, contributing to their successes.  Prior to Vivendi, she was at Warner Home Video where she spearheaded core initiatives in the TV franchise division like Friends Finale, the rebranding efforts on ER etc.  Earlier, at Universal Home Entertainment, she was a pioneer in the DVD catalog space, leading the successful re-launches of Scarface and Animal House, the former considered the most successful catalog relaunch in the history of DVD.

Ms. Sriraman has over 12 years of experience in the filmed entertainment space in a vast range of disciplines including category management, brand marketing, sales analysis, theatrical distribution and TV licensing.  An engineer by education, Soumya holds a M.S. in Transportation Engineering from Texas A&M University and a MBA from University of California, Irvine.

ABOUT PALISADES TARTAN

Tartan Films was originally founded in 1984 in the UK and is credited with bringing Asian Extreme film to the West as well as some of the most compelling art house films of the last quarter century. In May 2008, Palisades Pictures acquired Tartan Films US library assets and two months later, acquired a majority of Tartan Films UK’s 400+ film library assets. The new company Palisades Tartan has operations both nationally and internationally. Palisades Tartan will continue to expand an already distinctive and provocative slate of films by focusing on quality film acquisitions, thus significantly increasing the size of their overall library in both territories. Palisades Pictures and its parent company Palisades Media Corp is a prestigious financier of print & advertising for the independent film market.  Together with its affiliate, Palisades Media Asset Fund, Palisades has securitized and financed more than 550 films. www.PalisadesTartan.com

CULT BRAND TARTAN BRINGS IN NEW LEADERSHIP TO REVIVE BRAND

HE WAS A QUIET MAN -- movie review by porfle

Unappreciated and often bullied in his menial job, office drone Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) sits in his cubicle fondling a gun and seriously entertaining the notion of blowing several of his co-workers away before offing himself. Suddenly he hears gunshots and sees people falling. Incredibly, another sad-sack employee has had the same idea and beaten him to the punch. Bob then spots the unrequited love of his life, Venessa (Elisha Cuthbert), lying wounded on the floor while the shooter takes aim to finish her off. Grabbing his own gun, Bob fills the guy full of holes and becomes a life-saving hero.

At first I thought HE WAS A QUIET MAN (2007) was going to be yet another account of a disturbed loner who goes postal and starts killing people, but after this early sequence I realized it might be somewhat less predictable than that. As a reward for his bravery, Bob gets bumped upstairs to a higher position that ends up being just as demeaning as his previous one, but with a window. When he goes to the hospital to visit Venessa, who is now paralyzed from the neck down, she spits in his face. Later, after she stops blaming him for her plight and they begin to form an emotional bond, she asks Bob to help her commit suicide. But he can't let go that easily now that the chance to win her love actually seems to be within his limited grasp.

For me, the most unforgettable scene takes place on the night Venessa plans to die under the wheels of a subway train. After spiriting her out of the hospital, Bob takes her to a swanky restaurant for an extravagant last meal, and then to a small karaoke bar where Venessa insists on taking the stage. She sings a heartfelt rendition of "Midnight Train to Georgia" in which Bob, after some urging, actually comes out of his shell enough to croak backup. As the smiling audience warms up to them, it seems for a moment that the now-joyful Venessa's suicidal urge is fading. Then, suddenly, something so utterly appalling happens that I couldn't believe writer-director Frank A. Cappello would actually do this to these characters! Venessa is humiliated beyond belief, and the scene is about as emotionally devastating as it gets.

Then it's on to the subway station, where Bob is supposed to release the wheelchair and allow the sloped platform to carry Vanessa over the edge and under the train. This sequence is so powerful it could stand alongside the best scenes from any classic film, while Elisha Cuthbert reaches an emotional peak in her performance that is heartrending. Whew...this is pretty dramatic stuff.

Christian Slater is fascinating to watch here, hardly resembling the same guy we've seen before. Not only has he been physically transformed, but his intense performance as Bob Maconel conveys the repressed rage and self-hatred that seem to eminate from his body, while the struggle to contain them renders him a perpetually hunched-over bundle of raw nerves. Even when basking in the presence of his beloved Venessa, he remains pathetic and unstable. There's plenty of room for humor here, though, since Bob is basically such a dork and his reactions to suddenly being treated like a hero are comical. Elisha Cuthbert ("24", CAPTIVITY) brings the character of Venessa to radiant life even though she only gets to act from the neck up throughout most of the movie. And as Bob's increasingly demanding and derisive boss Mr. Shelby, the great William H. Macy makes the most of his ability to portray a character whose sickly-sweet exterior masks an inner sleaze.

The inventive direction and camerawork keep things visually interesting, while Jeff Beal's outstanding musical score is almost deviously clever. I could've done without the fish, though--Bob's tropical fish talk to him in his mind, you see, and they're rendered with a half-realistic, half-cartoony CGI that takes me out of the movie whenever they appear.

The story continues to get more gripping as things go downhill. Mr. Shelby openly mocks the lovestruck Bob for thinking he may have a chance in hell with a classy babe like Venessa, especially if she were ever to regain her self-reliance. A company psychiatrist (John Gulager) nosing into the facts behind the office shooting begins to suspect that Bob isn't quite what he seems. And when Bob finally asks Venessa if she really loves him, his sanity seems to hang precipitously upon her answer.

All of which leads to the stunning conclusion, where the unrelieved tension we've seen roiling inside him since he first contemplated murder finally drives Bob to his last desperate act. The twist ending is a bit confusing at first--Cappello actually wrote and shot three alternate versions before deciding on this one, which indicates that he was a little confused himself--but there's a weird logic about it that seemed right even before I had time to think about it. And after the fade-out, HE WAS A QUIET MAN left an unquiet impression.

He Was a Quiet Man
He Was a Quiet Man [Blu-ray]

HE WAS A QUIET MAN -- movie review by porfle

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition on Blu-ray June 29

IT CAME FOR THE THRILL OF THE HUNT

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition on Blu-ray June 29

Arnold Schwarzenegger Stars In The Original Sci-Fi Action Hit Arriving On Blu-ray June 29 Featuring An All-New Digital Restoration Of The Film And Retrospective Documentary

Includes $10 Movie Money For Predators – In Theaters Everywhere July 9


LOS ANGELES, CA (May 20, 2010) – “If it bleeds, we can kill it…” The ultimate warrior faces the ultimate enemy when Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition arrives on Blu-ray with a stunning new restored transfer on June 29 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Available just in time for the theatrical debut of Predators on July 9, the Blu-ray includes $10 in Movie Money to see the latest film in theaters across the country.

Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger; The Terminator) wages an all-out war against an unseen enemy, a force more powerful and deadly than any on Earth-because the Predator is not of this Earth. As he leads an elite group of commandos on a rescue mission deep into the jungle, Dutch and his team quickly learn that their foe kills for pleasure and hunts for sport. However, this time….it picked the wrong man to hunt.

Directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard), Predator also stars Carl Weathers (Rocky), Michael Biehn (The Terminator) and Jesse Ventura (The Running Man). Along with a complete digital restoration of the film, the all-new Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition Blu-ray is loaded with extras including a sneak-peek at the upcoming Predators, an all-new documentary entitled “Evolution of the Species: Hunters of Extreme Perfection” featuring interviews with Predators producer Robert Rodriguez, director Nimród Antal and original Predator producer John Davis, a feature-length commentary by John McTiernan, making-of documentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and much more. The Blu-ray will be available for a suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$37.99 Canada.

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition Blu-ray Special Features: (Catalog #2268509)
-ALL-NEW Digital Restoration of Predator
-ALL-NEW Sneak Peak at Predators
-ALL-NEW “Evolution of the Species: Hunters of Extreme Perfection” Featurette
-Feature-Length Audio Commentary by John McTiernan
-Text Commentary by Historian Eric Lichtensfeld
-“If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It” Making-Of Documentary
-“Inside The Predator” Documentary
-Special Effects Featurettes
-Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
-Short Takes
-Theatrical Trailers
-Photo Galleries
-Predator Profile

About 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 TCFHE on Twitter @foxhomeent

PREDATOR: ULTIMATE HUNTER EDITION BLU-RAY  
Street Date: June 29, 2010
Prebook Date: June 2, 2010
Screen Format: Widescreen – 1.85:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English 4.0 Dolby Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French 5.1 DTS
Subtitles: English/French/Spanish
U.S. Rating: R
Total Run Time: 108 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

Predator (Ultimate Hunter Edition) [Blu-ray]

Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition on Blu-ray June 29

STARGATE UNIVERSE (SGU 1.5): THE LATEST SPACE SENSATION IS TRANSPORTED ONTO BLU-RAY DISC AND DVD ON JULY 27

Featuring An All New Survival Instinct Game And Over 90 Minutes Of Extras
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (May 20, 2010) – The latest hit series from the creators of “Stargate SG-1” makes a date with destiny when “SGU 1.5” debuts on Blu-ray Disc and DVD July 27 from MGM Home Entertainment. Featuring the final 10 episodes of season one, the story continues to follow a group of soldiers, scientists and civilians that was unexpectedly transported to the other side of the universe. Stranded billions of miles from Earth on an Ancient ship known as the Destiny, the passengers encounter adventures beyond their wildest dreams as they struggle to survive.

“Stargate Universe” recorded the highest Friday night series premiere since “Battlestar Gallactica” debuted in 2005, drawing in 2.7 million viewers. The bold and original show features an out of this world cast including Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty), Brian J. Smith (Hate Crime), David Blue (“Ugly Betty”), Jamil Walker Smith (“Hey Arnold!”), and Canadian actors Louis Ferreira, Alaina Huffman, Patrick Gilmore and Elyse Levesque. Plus fans will enjoy special appearances by original cast member Richard Dean Anderson (“MacGyver”).

Fans can also enjoy “Stargate Universe’s” very first interactive experience, the SGU: Survival Instinct Game, offered exclusively on the “SGU 1.5” Blu-ray Disc. The brand new game challenges players to use their knowledge, intelligence and skillfulness to jump through a series of time loops in order to return to the Destiny. In addition, the “SGU 1.5” Blu-ray Disc and DVD feature a universe of bonus materials including 15 behind-the-scenes featurettes, video diaries and commentary on every episode. The “SGU 1.5” three-disc Blu-ray will be available for a suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./$49.99 Canada and the three-disc DVD will be available for $ 29.98 U.S./$37.98 Canada. A special on pack sleeve will be included for fans to combine SGU 1.0 and SGU 1.5 into one complete set. Prebook is June 30.

Blu-ray Disc Specs (Catalog # M122161):
Disc One:
Episodes
-Space
-Divided
-Faith
-Human
Special Features
 Destiny SML
  ¦ David Blue: An Interview with the Creators of SGU
  ¦ Designing A New Race: Space Aliens
  ¦ Tanked! Elyse Levesque Goes for a Swim
  ¦ Chatting With The Cast: Peter Kelamis
 Kino Video Diaries
  ¦ One Long Endless Night
  ¦ Horrible Accident
  ¦ We Volunteer to do This
  ¦ Wait For It
 Commentary by Cast and Crew on each episode

Disc Two:
Episodes
-Lost
-Sabotage
-Pain
Special Features
 Destiny SML
  ¦ Brian J. Smith: An Interview with the Creators of SGU
  ¦ The Destiny of General O’Neill
  ¦ A Day in the Life of Louis Ferreira
  ¦ Chatting with the Cast: Julia Benson
  ¦ Out for a Spacewalk with Jamil Walker Smith
  ¦ Finding Destiny: A Tour of the Destiny Set with Chris Beach
 Kino Video Diaries
  ¦ Drop the Sirs
  ¦ Like a Hug
  ¦ Painful Moments (Part 1)
 Commentary by Cast and Crew on each episode

Disc Three:
Episodes
-Subversion
-Incursion (Part 1)
-Incursion (Part 2)
Special Features
 Destiny SML
  ¦ Alaina Huffman: An Interview with the Creators of SGU
  ¦ Chatting with the Cast: Jennifer Spence
  ¦ A Behind the Scenes Look at “Incursion”
  ¦ Two-for-One: Behind the “Incursion” Double Ratchet Stunt
  ¦ Chatting with the Cast: Patrick Gilmore
 Kino Video Diaries
  ¦ All the Stages
 Commentary by Cast and Crew on each episode

Three-Disc DVD Specs (Catalog # M122162):
Disc One:
Episodes
-Space
-Divided
-Faith
Special Features
 Destiny SML
  ¦ David Blue: An Interview with the Creators of SGU
  ¦ Designing A New Race: Space Aliens
  ¦ Tanked! Elyse Levesque Goes for a Swim
  ¦ Chatting With The Cast: Peter Kelamis
  ¦ Brian J. Smith: An Interview with the Creators of SGU
  ¦ Finding Destiny: A Tour of the Destiny Set with Chris Beach
 Kino Video Diaries
  ¦ One Long Endless Night
  ¦ Horrible Accident
  ¦ We Volunteer to do This
  ¦ Wait For It
 Commentary by Cast and Crew on each episode

Disc Two:
Episodes
-Human
-Lost
-Sabotage
-Pain
Special Features
 Destiny SML
  ¦ The Destiny of General O’Neill
  ¦ Chatting with the Cast: Julia Benson
  ¦ Out for a Spacewalk with Jamil Walker Smith
 Kino Video Diaries
  ¦ Drop the Sirs
  ¦ Like a Hug
  ¦ Painful Moments (Part 1)
 Commentary by Cast and Crew on each episode

Disc Three:
Episodes
-Subversion
-Incursion (Part 1)
-Incursion (Part 2)
Special Features  Destiny SML
  ¦ A Day in the Life of Louis Ferreira
  ¦ Alaina Huffman: An Interview with the Creators of SGU
  ¦ Chatting with the Cast: Jennifer Spence
  ¦ A Behind the Scenes Look at “Incursion”
  ¦ Two-for-One: Behind the “Incursion” Double Ratchet Stunt
  ¦ Chatting with the Cast: Patrick Gilmore
 Kino Video Diaries
  ¦ All the Stages
 Commentary by Cast and Crew on each episode

Follow TCFHE on Twitter @foxhomeent

SGU 1.5
Street Date: July 27, 2010
Prebook Date: June 30, 2010
Screen Format: Widescreen – 1.78:1 (All)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital (BD)
English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish Dolby Surround (DVD)
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (All)
Total Run Time: 556 minutes (BD)
537 minutes (DVD)
U.S. Rating: NR
Closed Captioned: Yes

STARGATE UNIVERSE TM & © 2010 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Stargate Universe - SGU: Season 1.5 [Blu-ray]
Sgu 1.5 (3pc) (Ws Dub Sub Ac3 Dol)

STARGATE UNIVERSE (SGU 1.5): THE LATEST SPACE SENSATION IS TRANSPORTED ONTO BLU-RAY DISC AND DVD ON JULY 27

GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON ONE: PART 1 -- DVD review by porfle

I get scared walking down the dark hallway to my bathroom at night...especially after I've been watching something scary on TV.  So, needless to say, I only watched SyFy's GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON ONE: PART 1 in the daytime.  At first, anyway.  Eventually I got to where I was watching it later and later at night.  Not that it isn't spooky, because it is, but it isn't freak-me-out spooky.

This show is a spin-off of SyFy's "Ghost Hunters", and, according to some fan comments I've read, the new team is comprised largely of rejects from that and other shows.  I can only go by what I've seen here but in some cases I wouldn't doubt it.  (More on this later.)  Unlike the USA-bound "Ghost Hunters", the international version takes us to some truly fascinating locations around the world, where the supposed hauntings can date back several centuries.  This set focuses largely on the UK, in addition to scenic places such as Romania, Germany, and New Zealand, where the team gets to nose around in an awe-inspiring assortment of gloomy castles, citadels, and other medieval haunts.

After establishing the ghostly history of a location and setting up their equipment in the most likely spots, it's "lights out."  Imagine going to some of the scariest places on earth and creeping around in the dark all night, actually trying to wake the dead--I kept thinking, "What the hell's wrong with these people?  Are they nuts or what?"  There's a definite vicarious thrill to watching such a thing, imagining how it would feel to be chasing ghosts in Frankenstein's castle or hearing the growl of a devil dog in some pitch-black subterranean dungeon. 

Team leader Robb seems capable and level-headed enough, though a little humor-challenged and stiff.  Second lead investigator Andy refers to himself as the main debunker for the group, and due to his small size is often called upon to climb around precarious places or shinny through creepy crawlspaces with an admirable willingness.  In addition to coordinating the missions, these two meet with the caretakers of each location they explore and present them with the "evidence", or lack thereof, that they gather along with their pronouncement of whether or not a convincing case has been made for an actual paranormal presence.  (Those with a financial interest in the location's tourist-appeal are often visibly disappointed by a negative finding.)

The fact that Robb and Andy are as intent on discerning logical explanations for various anomalies as they are in declaring them "paranormal" adds to the show's credibility.  In one episode, the mysterious recurring aromas of cigar smoke and port wine are discovered by a hair-dryer-wielding Andy to be emanating from the furniture itself whenever it's warmed by the sun.  Strange noises, lights, and other unexplained events are often determined to be caused by any number of mundane things.  Entire segments of GHI, in fact, can consist more of debunking ghosts than encountering them, which some viewers may find boring despite the show's efforts to squeeze dramatic moments out of every creak, bump, shadow, chilly draft, tingly feeling, etc. 

Science guy Barry, an outgoing Irishman with a really bad soul patch, heads up the evidence evaluations.  He also tends to display the classic "feets don't fail me now" reaction to sudden ghostly activity.  Bantam rooster Brian is the "tech guy" in charge of the equipment, but his most notable trait is his confrontational style when dealing with spirits.  During their investigation of an opera house in New Zealand in which the architect is said to have committed suicide, Brian struts around like a twitchy street punk while shouting things like "Your theater sucks!"  I'm thinking that this may be one of the reasons Brian disappears from the show somewhere around episode nine.  His gangly, spikey-haired replacement, Dustin, known for wearing his visor cap upside-down and backwards, tends toward the dorky side but is less abrasive.

Case manager and local-history researcher Donna takes the opposite approach, settling in and spending forever gently and patiently asking questions such as "Do you like to knit or crochet?" to potential entities.  In one episode, this drives the jumpier and less-patient team member Shannon to fake Donna out by reaching around and banging on the wall behind her, leading to the show's first really classic "reality TV-drama" moment--Donna complains to Robb about Shannon's frivolous lack of devotion to their solemn mission and bad blood forms between the two which won't be resolved.  After a couple more episodes in which she clearly appears uncomfortable to be there, Shannon disappears from the show, leaving a triumphant Donna as Queen Bee until an unfortunate reoccurrence of Crohn's disease forces her to drop out.

While the team gathers reams of footage from both video and heat-sensitive cameras, we see little or nothing of the shadowy forms that often have them bug-eyed and breathless.  Most of the evidence comes from their ultra-sensitive sound recorders, which sometimes pick up what could be interpreted as human speech in response to their repetitive questions.  Occasionally a digital photo will reveal something that resembles a face if you use your imagination (which the team tends to do).  Needless to say, watching actual paranormal investigators methodically going about their jobs ain't quite the same as it is in POLTERGEIST.

Little in the way of conclusive evidence is ever found, although it's fun to watch the ghost hunters' reactions to what they call "personal experiences" such as being touched or hearing disembodied footsteps.  (The night-vision camera, which makes them all look like goggle-eyed albinos, gives everything an added element of eerieness as well.)  And the historic locations themselves, including the actual castle in which much of the silent horror classic NOSFERATU was filmed, are fascinating to explore under such ominous conditions.

The 3-disc DVD set from Image Entertainment has an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with Dolby Digital stereo.  Discs one and two contain four episodes apiece, while disc three has the remaining three episodes and over an hour's worth of deleted and extended scenes.  The packaging is a tad inconvenient, as the discs are stacked on one hub and secured in place by a removable screw.  There are no subtitles or closed-captioning.

Hardier souls who laugh at the thought of ghosts and go traipsing around in dark, spooky places as though it were nothing will probably regard all of this with a derisive chuckle while simply enjoying the scenery.  But if the very idea of real-life hauntings chills your blood as it does mine, then GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON ONE: PART 1 should give you a pretty hefty case of the creeps. 

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GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON ONE: PART 1 -- DVD review by porfle