-
Weekend Roundtable: Exploiting Your ChildhoodIn honor of this week's theatrical release of 'Oz: The Great and Powerful', today's blog Roundtable looks at other belated sequels, prequels, remakes and adaptations that have attempted to exploit our fond childhood memories, usually for the worst. Share your top picks for this topic with us in the blog today.Posted Fri Mar 8, 2013 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
'Gangster Squad' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]In an early announcement to retailers, Warner Brothers says 'Gangster Squad' is coming to high-definition on April 23.[/teaser] A stylish retelling of true events, 'Gangster Squad' follows a team of cops as they band together to bring down a ruthless mob boss— by any means necessary. A Village Roadshow Pictures Production, “Gangster Squad” stars Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive”), and Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”) as Mickey Cohen. The film also stars Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte (“Warrior,” “Affliction”), Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Robert Patrick and Mireille Enos. The screenplay was written by Will Beall and is based on the book 'Gangster Squad' by Paul Lieberman. The release will be a Blu-ray/DVD/UV Digital Copy combo pack with 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include Tough Guys with Style and the following Blu-ray exclusives: Commentary with Director Ruben Fleischer; The Gangland Files; Rogues Gallery: Mickey Cohen; and Deleted Scenes. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $35.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Gangster Squad' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 23.Posted Fri Mar 8, 2013 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Sharp Now Shipping the 2013 AQUOS 650 Series[teaser]Sharp's new LED TVs all feature Smart capabilities.[/teaser] Sharp has begun shipping the first of its new 6-series TVs, the 60-inch LC-60LE650 and the 70-inch LC-70LE650. These LED Smart sets boast a stat sheet stuffing 4 million: 1 dynamic contrast ratio, a Dual-core processor and built-in Wi-Fi. These new sets emphasize Smart TV capabilities while eschewing 3D. The entire line features Sharp's SmartCentral Smart TV platform, which allows for control via an iOS or Android device. Sharp Beam, a free app, is Sharp's solution for streaming content directly from Smartphones and tablets to the TV. The sets also support split-screen, which allows the user to use half the screen for viewing TV content while the other half uses the set's built-in browser. With the 60-inch and 70-inch currently selling for $1499.99 and $2499.99 respectively, there is room for two other sizes at different ends of the size spectrum. The 50-inch LC-50LE650 is expected to ship next month and retail for $1049.99, while the 80-inch LC-80LE650 is expected in May for $4999.99. The AQUOS 650 sets continue Sharp's combination of stylish bezel and lush display. Here's Robert Heron of Heron Fidelity briefly speaking about the new line: Amazon has both the 60-inch and 70-inch models on sale. Source:Big Picture Big SoundPosted Fri Mar 8, 2013 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season' Dated and Detailed[teaser]The fifth season of HBO's vampire drama series will sink its fangs into Blu-ray this May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, HBO is planning to bring 'True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season' to Blu-ray on May 31. Returning for its fifth season, True Blood is HBO’s sexy, scary, wildly entertaining drama series from Oscar®- and Emmy®-winner Alan Ball ('Six Feet Under') and based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. In addition to returning cast favorites – human/faerie waitress Sookie Stackhouse, her vampire suitors Bill Compton and Eric Northman, soul-searching pal Tara, shape-shifting boss Sam, rakish brother Jason, clairvoyant Lafayette and teen-vamp Jessica – Season 5 introduces a whole new wave of otherworldly characters. There’s Vampire Guardian Roman, president of the Vampire Authority, who wants co-existence between humans and vampires; vampire zealot Salome (yes, the Salome), intent on recreating the world in God’s vampyric image; Authority Chancellor Nora, who shares the same maker as Eric; werewolves J.D. and Martha, who want a reluctant Alcide to take his rightful place as packmaster; and many more. Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, True Blood Season 5 goes deep into the battle between the Vampire Authority and “vampire fundamentalists” – a political power play whose outcome could decide not only the fate of Sookie and her Bon Temps friends, but of all human existence. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature 1080p (1.78:1) video, an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Audio Commentaries on Select Episodes; Enhanced Viewing Modes; Hints/FYIs; Inside the Episodes; Flashbacks/Flash Forwards; Anatomy of an Episode; True Blood Lines; Authority Link-Outs; and Character Bios. Suggested list price for this set will be $79.98. You can find the latest specs for 'True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under May 21.Posted Fri Mar 8, 2013 at 09:00 AM PST by: -
'Floating City' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Yim Ho's drama based on real events is planned for Blu-ray in June. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Well Go USA is working on 'Floating City' for Blu-ray on June 11. In the early 1990s, Bo Wah Chuen, merely 40 years old, has already been promoted to the top management position of the British East India Company in Hong Kong, then a crown colony. Looking back over his beginning, he was raised in a poor, boat-dwelling family of Tanka fishermen - although he doesn't look anything like pure Chinese - and had not received proper education until he reached adulthood. Coming from such humble background, Chuen was met with a great deal of ridicule and discrimination due to class and racial biases. But through his own hard work, the lowly office assistant strove to climb up the ranks and eventually became the multinational trading giant's first ever Chinese taipan. Still, despite his extraordinary achievements, Chuen is confused where his root truly lies... The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements have yet to be revealed. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Floating City' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 11.Posted Fri Mar 8, 2013 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Theatrical Review: 'Oz: The Great and Powerful'It's a prequel 74 years in the making, but does the world really need a prequel to 'The Wizard of Oz' in the first place? For that matter, how can you make a prequel to a story that was all a young girl's dream anyway? Our theatrical reviewer Bryan Kluger tells us whether 'Oz: The Great and Powerful' lives up to any part of its title. Read his review in the blog today.Posted Fri Mar 8, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by: -
'Mama' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The supernatural thriller starring Jessica Chastain will haunt Blu-ray in May. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Universal Studios says 'Mama' will have a Blu-ray release on May 7. Guillermo del Toro, the Academy Award-nominated writer of 'Pan's Labyrinth,' presents this supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed. When the young sisters are found alive in a decrepit cabin, their uncle (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, "Game of Thrones") and his girlfriend (Oscarr nominee Jessica Chastain, 'Zero Dark Thirty') take them in. As they try to introduce the children to a normal life, Annabel (Chastain) begins to wonder if the traumatized girls are the only guests they have welcomed into their home. Specs have yet to be revealed, but the Blu-ray/DVD/Ultraviolet Digital Copy combo pack will include: Matriarcal Secrets: An in-depth exploration of the digital and practical effects employed to shape the film's phantom presence; Deleted Scenes: Deleted scenes with optional commentary by director/co-writer Andy Muschietti and producer/co-Writer Barbara Muschietti; Original Short: Original short with introduction by Guillermo del Toro and optional commentary with Andy and Barbara Muschietti; The Birth of Mama: Mama began as a chilling short that announced a new voice in the horror genre. Exclusive interviews with Guillermo del Toro and the filmmakers track the bloodline of the feature and explore changes needed to make the transition to a film; and Feature Commentary: Audio commentary with Andy and Barbara Muschietti. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Mama' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under May 7.Posted Fri Mar 8, 2013 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
'Day of the Falcon' Blu-ray Announced and Detailed[teaser]The thrilling action-adventure soars to Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Image Entertainment is preparing 'Day of the Falcon' for Blu-ray on March 26. The film about star-crossed lovers, ancient traditions, family pride...and oil is directed by award-winning director Jean-Jacques Annaud ('Enemy at the Gates,' 'Seven Days in Tibet') and boasts an international all-star cast including Antonio Banderas ('Desperado,' 'Puss in Boots'), Mark Strong ('Zero Dark Thirty,' 'Sherlock Holmes'), Freida Pinto ('Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' 'Slumdog Millionaire') and Tahar Rahim ('The Eagle'), 'Day of the Falcon' is a soaring epic of honor, greed, betrayal, and love. With a screenplay by Annaud, Alain Godard ('The Name of the Rose,' 'Enemy at the Gates') and Academy-Award nominee Menno Meyjes ('The Color Purple,' 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'), and featuring a breathtaking score from Academy-Award winner James Horner ('Avatar,' 'Titanic,' 'Braveheart'), 'Day of the Falcon' unfolds amidst the arid landscape of the Middle East in the early part of the 20th century. After years of bloody conflict, the leaders of two rival kingdoms (Banderas and Strong) reluctantly agree to end the fighting. But when oil is discovered between their territories, the war is re-ignited. Now it is up to their children (Rahim and Pinto) – young lovers who have married in hopes of bringing the families together – to find a way to end the violence and bring peace to the land. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: The Making of Day of the Falcon: A 40-Minute Documentary; Transforming the Desert: The Visual Effects of Day of the Falcon; and From Storyboard-to-Screen. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.97. You can find the latest specs for ' Day of the Falcon' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under March 26.Posted Thu Mar 7, 2013 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
'Sound City' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]Dave Grohl's 2013 film will be rocking Blu-ray next week. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, RCA has slated 'Sound City' for Blu-ray on March 12. 'Sound City,' the film, was conceived by Grohl after purchasing the legendary custom-built Neve 8028 recording console from Sound City Studios last year. The board, built in 1972, is considered by many to be the crown jewel of analog recording equipment, having recorded such artists as Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Guns and Roses, Metallica, NIN, Rage Against The Machine and countless other musical legends over the past 40 years. Grohl's personal connection to Sound City began with the 1991 recording of Nirvana's breakthrough album, Nevermind. Selling over 30 million copies worldwide, Nevermind changed the entire musical landscape and forever altered the course of Dave Grohl's life. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $24.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Sound City' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 12.Posted Thu Mar 7, 2013 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Cheech and Chong's Animated Movie' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The classic comedy duo gets animated on Blu-ray in April! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is preparing 'Cheech and Chong's Animated Movie' for Blu-ray on April 23. You're not hallucinating (but they are)… It's the legendary toker jokers Cheech & Chong as you've never seen them before -- in their very first Animated Movie. Catch the buzz as their most outrageous routines and laugh-out-loud lines from their Grammy Award-winning albums come to life, including "Dave's not here," "Let's make a dope deal" and more. With help from a bud-lovin' body crab named Buster, Cheech & Chong "the masters of smokin' word" deliver the ultimate comedy high and give you the munchies for more. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Joint Audio Commentary featuring Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong; Commentary featuring Branden Chambers, Eric D. Chambers and Lou Adler; Commentary featuring Tommy Chong and Paris Chong; Low Maintenance Listening Mode; "Marijuana" Music Video; and Cheech and Chong Gallery. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Cheech and Chong's Animated Movie' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under April 23.Posted Thu Mar 7, 2013 at 08:00 AM PST by:
