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'Skyfall' Hitting Blu-ray February 12th - Full Details Confirmed[teaser]We finally have official confirmation. The highest-grossing Bond film of all time is heading to Blu-ray on February 12th![/teaser] After a month or so of rumors, we finally have an official release date for the 'Skyfall' Blu-ray. Mark your calendars for February 12th! The third outing for Daniel Craig as secret agent 007 co-stars Javier Bardem, with Judi Dench once again returning as M. The movie is directed by Sam Mendes. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will likely include: Commentary by Director Sam Mendes; Commentary by Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and Production Designer Dennis Gassner; Behind the Scenes Intro - 2:21; Opening Sequence – The Death of Bond 4:15; Title Sequence – Working The Titles 2:57; 007 – The return of James Bond 3:46; Q- Back to Basics 1:54; DB5 – Behind the wheel 1:33; Women – The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful 4:22; Villains – In The Shadows 7:00; Locations – License To Travel 3:23; Music – The Sound of Bond 3:38; The End sequence – The Beginning of the End 13:57; M – Changes 4:42; The Future - New Beginnings 2:10; Skyfall Premiere 5:00; and Soundtrack Promotional Spot 0:29. The preliminary artwork has been posted on Amazon (note that it still might change on the final product): Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Skyfall' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 12th.Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 01:00 PM PST by: -
'One Night with the King' Announced and Detailed for Blu-ray[teaser]The 2006 sweeping epic arrives on Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox is readying 'One Night with the King' for a Blu-ray release on March 5. With lush cinematography, a mesmerizing score, and an all-star cast that includes Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif and John Rhys-Davies, 'One Night with the King' is a sweeping epic about Hadassah, the young Jewish orphan who becomes the biblical Esther, Queen of Persia. Born into poverty, Hadassah (Tiffany DuPont) grows up to become a beauty who catches the eye of the powerful King Xerxes – and ultimately becomes his bride. But despite her position, Hadassah’s life is in danger, as the state has decreed that all Jews will be put to death. Defying warnings to remain silent, however, Hadassah struggles to save her people, even as she attempts to hide her heritage, in this exciting and inspiring story about courage, faith and destiny.. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include an audio commentary featuring Matthew Crouch, Richard Cook, and Stephan Blinn Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $16.99. You can find the latest specs for 'One Night with the King' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under March 5.Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 12:00 PM PST by: -
'The Marine 3: Homefront' Blu-ray Dated and Detailed[teaser]WWE Superstar Mike "The Miz" Mizanin suits up for the third 'Marine' actioner bound for Blu-ray in March. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox has slated 'The Marine 3: Homefront' for Blu-ray on March 5. WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin delivers a knock-out performance in the most explosive, action-packed Marine adventure yet. After returning to his hometown on leave, Sgt. Jake Carter learns that his sister has been abducted by a band of violent extremists. To save her, Carter launches a daring one-man assault on their base of operations...only to discover the group’s ruthless leader is plotting a deadly terrorist strike. With time running out, Carter realizes he’s the only man who can stop the impending massacre -- but this American hero may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save thousands of innocent lives. Showcasing one tough cast, 'The Marine 3: Homefront' also stars Neal McDonough ('Captain America: The First Avenger', 'Justified'), and Ashley Bell ('The Last Exorcism II'press). In preparation for the film, “The Miz” trained one-on-one with several production personnel, including stunt coordinator Ernest Jackson, armorer Robert Fournier and military advisor Darrion Holiwell. The movie was directed by Scott Wiper ('The Condemned') and filmed in Vancouver, Mission and Maple Ridge, B.C. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Shipwrecked: Breaking Down the Boat, The Miz Rocks the Boat, The Miz Declassified, Casting Call: Ready to Enlist, and Miz Journal. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Marine 3: Homefront' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 5.Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
'Red Dawn' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The 2012 action-packed remake will fight to take back America on Blu-ray in March! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, 20th Century Fox says 'Red Dawn' will have a Blu-ray release on March 5. Chris Hemsworth ('Thor'), Josh Hutcherson ('The Hunger Games'), and Adrienne Palicki ('G.I. Joe: Retaliation') deliver a full arsenal of pulse-pounding excitement in this explosive action-adventure! The unsuspecting citizens of Spokane, Washington, wake up one morning to the shocking sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky in a surprise attack on the United States. Soon the entire region is under enemy control, but a group of courageous teenagers has decided to fight back, waging an all-out war against the invaders, to take back their town – and their freedom! The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements haven't been revealed yet. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is still undetermined at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Red Dawn' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under March 5.Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 08:40 AM PST by: -
Aaron's Sundance 2013 Journal: Day 4by Aaron Peck I put my stomach troubles behind me on Day 4. I felt like a new man, but I couldn't help but think about poor pregnant Kristen Bell who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully, today would go smoother than the last. I started the day off at Starbucks. It's the only place near the bus stop where a hot drink can be purchased. It's the same Starbucks where just a few days ago, I spotted Montel Williams buying lattes for his small entourage. Not all celebrity encounters are created equal. They can't all be sightings of Daniel Radcliffe taking pictures with dozens of squealing teenage girls – most of which were taller than him. No, sometimes it's just a lowly talk show host/infomercial guru buying coffee. After getting a drink I went back to wait at the bus stop. I checked my phone, the temperature, according to a handy app, was around -2 – degrees. It's weeks like this that are frustrating when going to a winter film festival. Years past Sundance has been blanketed in snow and cold weather, but this year is an anomaly. A huge snowstorm hit Utah right before the festival kicked off. Since then it's been nothing but sunny skies and warmer than usual weather. Except the mornings and evenings are still crackling with ice-cold air. This presents a dilemma. Do I wear thermals to counteract the cold? Or do I tough it out so I'm not sweating when the temp rises substantially throughout the day? I don't know why I always choose the first choice seeing that it's so cold in the mornings that the wind rips right through however many layers I've put on. Then the afternoon rolls around and I’m cooking to death inside my layered protection against the cold. It's a no-win situation. The first movie of the day was Michael Winterbottom's ('The Killer Inside Me') 'The Look of Love,' which could quite possibly be the worst movie up here. Even with more naked flesh than anyone could care to quantify, 'The Look of Love,' a story about British pornographer Paul Raymond, is utterly boring in every respect. Steve Coogan tries to save it with a few Coogan-y facial expressions and line deliveries, but the movie is dead on arrival. So, I guess it makes sense that IFC picked it up. After the movie's Q&A with Winterbottom and actress Tamsin Egerton (both pictured above), I made my way back to the theater where the press screenings take place. The tent is starting to reek of exhaustion and Clif Bars. Press and industry people are waddling down the lines in a daze. What was once enthusiasm for a brand new collection of films has turned into "Just another job," kind of vibe. The movie I see next is called 'Concussion.' It's a movie about a lesbian housewife who is frustrated with her increasingly loveless partnership so she looks for lovin' from hookers on Craigslist. Then she moves on to higher class escorts. And finally she becomes an escort herself. I was surprised at how much I liked 'Concussion.' It's erotic without being vulgar. TV mainstay Robin Weigert ('Sons of Anarchy') gives a terrific, sexy performance as Abby. These are the kind of movies that make Sundance worth it. Outside it was becoming dusk. The air was getting colder again and would soon blast through my layers and chill me to the bone. That didn't matter though because I was excited that I'd finally been able to procure a ticket to see a public screening of 'The Spectacular Now.' A bus ride later I was standing in line waiting to see my most anticipated movie of the festival. Josh Radnor clomped by in the theater lobby looking rather glum. I debated briefly asking for a photograph with him, mostly because my wife loves him, but my shyness prevailed yet again. At the head of the line was an older man – late sixties – who was greeted by the filmmakers when they came walking through the doors. They insisted he didn't have to stand in line, but he did all the same. 'The Spectacular Now' was everything I thought it was going to be. It was honest and candid. A beautifully real assessment of high school life and the real dangers of young alcoholism. The reason I was anticipating this movie so much was because I had read Tim Tharp's novel before the festival began. While I enjoyed the characters he'd created and the arcs that they go through, I was struck with the hankering suspicion that this was an old guy writing dialogue for teenagers. Then the Q&A came and the same guy from the front of the line walked up with James Pondsolt, the director. Pondsolt introduced him as Tim Tharp (pictured above) and I nodded to myself. I knew it! Fortunately the script, which was penned by the team behind '(500) Days of Summer' ironed out the gimmicky dialogue from the book. They made it sound much more natural coming from the mouths of Shaliene Woodley and Miles Teller. Both great leads. It was the perfect way to end the night.Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 07:40 AM PST by: -
Logitech to Divest Harmony Line of Remotes and Severely Reduce PC and Videogame Peripherals[teaser]After posting $180 million loss in the quarter, focus shifts to tablets and smartphones. [/teaser] After posting a $180 million operating loss for the third quarter of the 2013 fiscal, Logitech CEO Bracken P. Darrell has announced a new strategy for the company whose presence has long been visible in the PC peripheral market with important forays into the home theater and gaming avenues. "As we articulated when we started the third quarter, continued weakness in the global PC market was the primary factor in our disappointing Q3 results. These results are unacceptable and we are taking decisive action as an outcome of my strategic review. As a result, we have initiated the process to divest our remote controls and digital video security categories, and we plan to discontinue other non-strategic products, such as speaker docks and console gaming, by the end of calendar year 2013." According to CNET, Logitech has owned the Harmony line since 2004 when it purchased privately held Intrigue Technologies of Canada for $29 million in cash. While dialing back fully on gaming and partially on PC products, Logitech will focus on another area, "We plan to expand our presence in the growing tablet accessories category with the launch of a number of exciting new products later this quarter." Source: CNETPosted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 07:30 AM PST by: -
Aaron's Sundance 2013 Journal: Day 3by Aaron Peck You know what they say; you can only eat so much Burger King before your body launches a full scale revolt against you. What? They don't say that? Well, they should, because, boy is it true. [teaser]This isn't a journal entry for the weak stomached. This is a cautionary tale, like many of the films up here at Sundance. This is a what-not-to-do festival rundown. If you ever find yourself taking on the mammoth task of a film festival, please use this information wisely.[/teaser] The day started off nicely enough. I hopped on a crowded morning bus heading into the city. I put my headphones on and listened to some local radio as we traveled into town. The drive is a nice one, particularly when you're sitting at your own window seat gazing out at the snow-covered mountains. When you're crunched between a large man and a woman who has no idea where she's going and has to ask the bus driver every stop if this is hers, then it's not as enjoyable. I had an early start to the day, which is always nice. There's something about sitting down for a movie at 9:00 AM that makes me happy. I don't know why, because by all rationality I should be sleeping. The first movie of the day was a documentary called 'Dirty Wars.' A startling tale about covert operations, innocent people being killed during night raids across the world, and the U.S. government agencies behind it. A reporter pieces the labyrinthine puzzle together and what comes out the other side is staggering. My original plan hadn't included 'Virtually Heroes,' but since the first couple days were ruined by weak planning on my part and the scarcity of press tickets for screenings I wanted to get in to, I decided to hit up the Park City at Midnight entry. It would've been better as a 20 minute short. It's a low-budget live-action version of 'Wreck-It Ralph.' A couple of guys in a first-person shooter video game become self-aware. All the references are used up in the first few moments of the movie. Oh yeah, Mark Hamill makes an appearance. So there's that. It was about this time that I felt the first tummy rumble. Like a harbinger of doom my innards gurgled and popped. "Uh oh," I thought. "This can't be good." 'Austenland,' the new movie from the 'Napoleon Dynamite' people was next. Standing in the press line waiting to get in I was wondering what my body was trying to tell me. Was I coming down with the dreaded Sundance Flu? Or was it my careless fast food eating the previous two days? I had a hard time sitting through 'Austenland.' My stomach was speaking more than an elderly lady in a complicated sci-fi movie. This was getting bad, but I had a packed schedule I didn't want to let up. 'Austenland' was agreeable enough. It's the best movie the Hesses have made, but that's not saying a whole lot. I'm not a huge fan of their weirdo quirky humor. Although, Jennifer Coolidge needs to take it down a notch, or five. She's so far over the top in this movie that it caused quite a few of my colleagues to simply give up and walk out. Keri Russell plays a woman who is obsessed with Jane Austen and the time period that her books portray. So, she travels to a reenactment place in England when it's all Austen all the time. After getting out of 'Austenland' I had only 30 minutes to make it to the premiere of 'The Lifeguard' starring Kristen Bell. I underestimated the time it would take to get from the theater I was at to the theater where 'The Lifeguard' was playing. Any other day, I would have jogged there. Not today though. Not with my stomach feeling like a Xenomorph could burst through my gut at any moment. The road to the theater was packed with cars. It was a parking lot. There was no way I'd get there in time on a bus, so I started walking. Time seemed to be passing faster than it should've been. I switched to a brisk walk, and then a light jog. The cold air stung my lungs. Exhaust fumes from the stalled cars on the road choked me. My stomach gurgled in resistance. I barely made it and was greeted with the worst seat in the house: very front row, far right. I craned my neck all the way to the left like I was watching a one-sided tennis match. The movie started. Beads of sweat started forming on my head. This wasn't going to be pretty. I ran to the bathroom. Relief! Or so I thought. 'The Lifeguard,' directed by Liz Garcia (pictured above) is about an older woman, played by Kristen Bell, who falls for an underage teenager after she moves back home because her life is in shambles (FYI: A shamble-y life is a Sundance staple). It's a completely ridiculous movie that is made all the more unwatchable by the sheer number of implausible and uninteresting subplots they try to shoehorn in. My stomach was feeling alright now, so I stayed for the Q&A session. Kristen Bell was there looking very pregnant. I took a few pictures and the session ended. Mrs. Bell came walking back over to my side of the room. I got up, put on my jacket, picked up my bag and started to walk out. The sudden change in position shifted something deep inside my bowels. "Uh oh," I thought. I half-turned my head to see pregnant Kristen Bell directly behind me. I couldn't hold it in. Kristen, if you're reading this, I'm sorry for crop dusting you.Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 07:25 AM PST by: -
Aaron's Sundance 2013 Journal: Day 2by Aaron Peck [teaser]Today was the day I realized the schedule I had previously mapped out, simply wasn't going to work at all. I'd put too much faith in the memory of public screening tickets being easier to procure in earlier years. This year, press tickets for public showings have become a competitive race to see who can get to the press office first. Most movie bloggers are horribly out of shape, so this makes for a very awkward race indeed.[/teaser] Yesterday I'd been shut out of 'The Spectacular Now' premiere, which caused my meticulously planned schedule to crumble like a house of cards. Now I was left scanning the schedule to see what tickets I could request instead. Premieres were being snapped up fast. So I decided to get a ticket to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut premiere of 'Don Jon's Addiction.' Thankfully, I got into that screening even though there was a long line for requests. With my schedule somewhat set for the rest of the day, I tried to relax. This year I've been trying not to rush around so much. Last year I pushed myself as hard as I possibly could and became exhausted. This year, even though I wanted to see a lot of films, I really didn't want to push myself to point of exhaustion. This is a promise that sounds good, but ultimately is impossible. So many films to see, so little time. To make matters worse, the organizers and Park City health services are scared of an influenza outbreak. Think about it. The nation is seeing one of the worst flu seasons ever and now all those flu strains are gathering in one small town in the mountains. It's a recipe for disaster. Someone even took it upon themselves to create a comedic Twitter account called @SundanceFlu to remind people that influenza is lurking everywhere. Ready to strike. The first screening of the day was for 'The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.' The press tent was full of the all too familiar cattle guard gates where they herd everyone in, line them up, and then keep them confined until it's time to fill the theater. I immediately noticed the sea of coffee and Red Bull. People were already gearing up for what was going to be a strenuous week of watching and writing. 'Mister and Pete' ended up being a decent little story about two kids in the ghetto that are forced to live on their own for an entire summer. The performances are astounding and genuine. Even though the movie runs through some standard conventions, it still pulled at a few of my heartstrings. The second movie I saw was 'Mud.' Another movie about two kids, with a couple more surprising performances by child actors. 'Mud', starring Matthew McConaughey, already premiered in Cannes to rave reviews. That buzz is well-founded. Jeff Nichols, who directed the fantastic 'Take Shelter,' puts together another wonderfully constructed movie filled with rich characters. The last screening of the day was the premiere of 'Don Jon's Addiction.' There's no way that Joseph Gordon-Levitt's original cut of this movie will get an R rating. As it stands, I would bet anything that it'll get an NC-17. The movie is about a Guido from New Jersey who has an addiction to porn. Gordon-Levitt has decided to cut in real porn clips that show everything except for penetration. Sundance likes risqué, but the MPAA will most certainly tell him to cut out a lot of the clips he included. The movie itself has too much of a tonal problem going on. It tries to be both hard and unforgiving – like 'Shame,' – and then sweet and loving – like '(500) Days of Summer.' The Q&A was fantastic though. Almost the entire cast was there. Scarlett Johansson and Brie Larson were missing. Despite the scheduling snafus of the first day, the second day turned out to be a decent one. Day three, however, would prove to be one of the worst festival-going days I'd ever had...Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 07:20 AM PST by: -
Aaron's Sundance 2013 Journal: Day 1by Aaron Peck [teaser]Seems like just a few months ago I was traipsing around Park City watching brand-new indie movies, and now here I am doing it again. The next nine days will be chock full of as many movie screenings as I can possibly fit in. Caffeine consumption is up and sleep duration is down. It's time to see some movies![/teaser] Opening Day. There isn't much to do on the first day of Sundance. The movies that open the festival don't start until the evening, so you're basically stuck waiting. So, I wasn't in that big of a rush to get to the festival. I should have rushed. I hadn't seen one movie yet and my prepared schedule had already taken a catastrophic body blow. I love seeing public screenings because you get the Q&A session and you get to see the movie with a real audience. There's not much that's "real" when watching a movie with a bunch of press and industry people. Granted, the press members are much more wrapped up in the movie, but the industry people (people buying, selling, or representing movies) are a finicky bunch. They can't stay off their phones, they get up and leave halfway through the movie. It's tiresome watching movies with those people. Which brings me back to my dilemma. For public screenings, press members have to request tickets. There are only so many tickets allotted for us during any one screening. I hurried into the press office when I finally got into the city and stared sullenly at the bad news. It was only 8:30 AM and all the tickets for the premiere for 'The Spectacular Now' had been taken. I was bummed. All that planning was quickly circling the drain. Not only that, but I found out that the premiere I was planning on seeing Saturday for Lynn Shelton's 'Touchy Feely' was also gone. This day was not turning out well at all. I was gutted. Instead I picked up a ticket for the premiere of 'Don Jon's Addiction', and hoped for the best. Best laid plans and all that, right? Still, it feels like this year they're making it harder to get into public screenings for whatever reason. Last year I was able to get into the premiere of 'Your Sister's Sister' on the same day I requested the tickets. I'm now planning on seeing the adaption of Tim Tharp's novel on Sunday. Hopefully it works out. The opening night film I ended up seeing was a documentary called 'Who is Dayani Cristal?' The synopsis, which describes a mysterious body, with a cryptic tattoo being found in the desert, ended up having very little in the way of mystery. Instead the movie really is a comment on illegal immigration. While preachy at times, I found it to be a humanizing exercise. Putting faces, families, and feelings with statistics of undocumented workers. After the movie is was off to a party for Nintendo's Wii U. There was the requisite open bar, tiny hor d'oeuvres, and music blasting-way-too-loud. It reminded me why I don't usually do the party scene at Sundance. The branding side of the festival doesn't really interest me. Although, seeing a S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle made me think that something exciting was going on somewhere. All I could think about when I got back home was that tomorrow held more promise. But, dammit, I had to be up early to request tickets or I'd be out of luck again.Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 07:15 AM PST by: -
Verizon Says Redbox Instant Won't be Profitable Until 2014[teaser]The company posted losses this year and is warning investors not to expect miracles. [/teaser] The Redbox Instant streaming service is intriguing, especially because of the $9.00 monthly subscription that gets you four Blu-ray rentals. It's not going to be an overnight success though, and nobody knows that better than Verizon CFO Fran Shammo. Shammo told analysts that he doesn't expect to see Redbox Instant helping out the bottom line until 2014. "They are all startups," he states, "and I would think that in 2014, these will really start to contribute to the overall profit." Source: Home Media MagazinePosted Thu Jan 24, 2013 at 07:00 AM PST by:
