-
Blu-ray is 'In the Mood for Love' this October[teaser]The 2000 Chinese drama from Wong Kar-wai is planned for a fall Blu-ray release. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion will release 'In the Mood for Love' on Blu-ray on October 2. Hong Kong, 1962: Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal—until a discovery about their respective spouses sparks an intimate bond between them. Wong Kar-wai’s 'In the Mood for Love' is a masterful evocation of romantic longing. The Blu-ray will feature a 1080p transfer, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: In the Mood for Love, director Wong Kar-wai's documentary on the making of the film; Deleted scenes with director's commentary; Hua yang de nian hua (2000), a short film by Wong; Archival interview with Wong and a 'cinema lesson' given by the director at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival; Toronto International Film Festival press conference from 2000, with stars Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu-wai; Trailers and TV spots; Two new interviews with critic Tony Rayns, one about the film and the other about the soundtrack; and a booklet featuring an essay by novelist and film critic Steve Erickson and the Liu Yi-chang story that provided thematic inspiration for the film. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'In the Mood for Love' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 2.Posted Tue Jul 24, 2012 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Interviews 'Get the Gringo' (and 'Elysium') Producer and Co-writer Stacy Perskieby Luke Hickman If you've been reading the 'Get the Gringo' interviews that I've conducted, then this one introduces the third ingredient used in making this a throwback to Gibson's earlier films – Stacy Perskie. Like director Adrian Grunberg, Perskie has previously worked alongside Gibson too. Perskie worked as the second unit director on 'Edge of Darkness' and as the second assistant director on 'Apocalptyo.' Perskie not only co-wrote 'Get the Gringo' with Gibson and Grunberg, but he produced it as well. [teaser]Perskie has worked on several very big films, but I believe he's really about to explode. Why? Because he's currently co-producing Neill Blomkamp's first film after his 'District 9' feature debut, the uber-secretive 'Elysium.' The first footage and a general synopsis was finally revealed at Comic-Con two weeks ago, but I conducted this interview just days before that so Perskie still had to be tight-lipped about it – but that didn't stop me from asking. I managed to get one little tidbit out of him about 'Elysium' that got me very excited for it.[/teaser] Read on. Stacy Perskie: Hi, Luke! HDD – Luke Hickman: Hey, Stacy. How are you? Stacy Perskie: Good, good. How are you? HDD: Not bad at all. Are you tired from your full day of interviews yet? Stacy Perskie: This is actually my first one of the day – the first of few. HDD: I spoke with both Kevin [Hernandez] and Adrian [Grunberg] today - Stacy Perskie: Cool! How are they? HDD: They sounded great. I was especially impressed with Kevin because he doesn't sound like a 15-year-old at all. Stacy Perskie: Right?! He's very mature for his age. He's a very great guy. HDD: I see that you've done a few film with Mel Gibson now. Stacy Perskie: That's right. We've done three movies now. I've also done some music videos that he directed. ... HDD: How is it working with Mel? Stacy Perskie: He's extremely creative, you know. He's a lot of fun and a very great guy to work with. He's very humble, sharing a lot of his knowledge – and that's very rewarding because you get to learn a lot. At the same time, he allows you to propose things and he hears you out. It's a very open collaboration. HDD: Was it always the intention of you guys to get him to return to the 'Payback' type of role, or did that just happen naturally? Stacy Perskie: You know, when we started writing the script, it was [Mel's] original idea. We started doing research and he proposed that we all write it together. He never said from the beginning that it was to be an acting vehicle for him. It wasn't until the script was almost ready that he said that he might prefer the role. HDD: I'm glad that he took it. It felt like it was meant for him, especially with all of the quick and witty jokes that might fly over your head if you're not paying attention. Stacy Perskie: I agree. I agree. It's really great. When writing the script, we never said that it was going to be him … but it always seemed – I think from his point of view too – that it was always a very natural character for himself. I agree with you; it's great to see him in that type of role. HDD: It seems like you're keeping busy in the film industry. You've done second-unit directing - Stacy Perskie: Uh-huh. HDD: - producing, writing. Is there one of those roles that you prefer over the others? Stacy Perskie: I really like both writing and producing. I had a lot of fun on this project, so I look forward to being able to do it more. I also hope, at some point, to create the opportunity to direct something myself. But both writing and producing are definitely great. HDD: I know that you probably can't say anything, but the inner movie geek inside me won't let me not ask you. Stacy Perskie: (laughs) HDD: Being a producer on 'Elysium' - Stacy Perskie: Yeah. HDD: - can you say something – anything – at all about the movie just to appease me? Stacy Perskie: I'm pretty locked down at the moment. As you already know, it's a very confidential project. There hasn't been much out there yet, so I unfortunately can't say much. I will say that, personally, it's going to be an amazing movie. HDD: Has the shoot already wrapped? Stacy Perskie: Yes. Shooting has wrapped completely. The film had some additional photography that we shot last month. HDD: Were you on set for most of the shoot? Stacy Perskie: I was, yes. I concentrated on the Mexican portion of it. I was in the entirety of … the six weeks in Mexico, in Mexico City and the outskirt of the city. I was also in Vancouver, where the rest of the film was shot. HDD: Being a big fan of 'District 9,' I'm dying to see what Blomkamp does with it. Stacy Perskie: I think it's going to be a really amazing film. I think it's going to be on a whole other level than 'District 9.' Even though I think 'District 9' was very good, I think 'Elysium' is going to take it up a notch. HDD: Your words are making me excited – and I'm already really excited. Stacy Perskie: (laughs) That's cool! HDD: Do you have anything lined up after 'Elysium?' Stacy Perskie: Both Adrian [Grunberg] and I are reading scripts, we have a few scripts in development to produce. We're working on a movie called 'The Boy Who Smells Like Fish.' It'll probably be out early 2013. … We're looking for a few other projects for Adrian to direct and also thinking of things that we can write ourselves to see where it takes us. HDD: Well, thanks for giving me a call today and I look forward to seeing what you guys do next. Stacy Perskie:Thank you. That's very nice.Posted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 02:05 PM PDT by: -
HDD Interviews 'Get the Gringo' Director Adrian Grunbergby Luke Hickman 'Get the Gringo' is a Blu-ray I've been anticipating since first hearing about it. Despite the media drama that Mel Gibson has found himself in over the years, I've continued to love his on-screen and behind-the-camera personas just as much as ever. So to hear that he had co-written and starred in a film that threw him back into the crass and gritty action roles that got him started, I was pumped. If you read M. Enois Duarte's review of 'Get the Gringo,' you will read my exact sentiments of the film. Through the character (known as "Gringo"), his hilarious narration and the story, we get to see Mel Gibson return to form. If it wasn't for Gibson's face revealing his age, 'Get the Gringo' could easily appear as one of his movies from "the good old days" of his career. I believe that this is the result of a couple combined things. First, Gibson co-wrote the screenplay. And second, the other minds behind the filming have now worked with Gibson for quite some time. Director Adrian Grunberg co-wrote 'Get the Gringo' with Gibson and producer Stacy Perskie. Grunberg also worked as first assistant director with Gibson on 'Edge of Darkness' and 'Apocalypto.' [teaser]I recently spoke with director Adrian Grunberg about 'Get the Gringo.' I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.[/teaser] HDD – Luke Hickman: Hello, Adrian! How are things going? Adrian Grunberg: Not bad at all. HDD: Are you doing a load of phoners today? Adrian Grunberg: Uh... yes – but thank God it's only today. HDD: Well, let's get this over with then. Let's get you onto the next call. I watched 'Get the Gringo' last night and have to say, I loved the opening sequence - Adrian Grunberg: Was that all you liked?! HDD: No, no, no! (laughs) I just wanted to say that I was gripped from the get-go because of the action, the visuals - Adrian Grunberg: (laughs) I'm kidding. I'm glad you did. I think it's a cool, cool scene as well. HDD: Having worked with Mel Gibson a few times now - Adrian Grunberg: - as first [assistant director] - HDD: - how is having the tables turned, being the guy who gets to fully direct Mel in a movie? Adrian Grunberg: It feels great! (laughs) I can't tell you enough – I love the guy. I've know him for a number of years now and there's an affinity, a friendship, that we've developed over the years. It was good, it was great, it was an amazing experience. This is a film that we brought forth from the idea, all the way through the script and the production, so it was fantastic. HDD: How did 'Get the Gringo' come to be? Adrian Grunberg: Mel had the idea … this idea of putting a "gringo" in a Mexican prison. [Mel] had been reading stuff about Mexican prisons, so he called me up and offered me the movie. We started to get together along with Stacy Perskie, who's the other co-writer and producer – all three of us started to get together and throw ideas around. We would come back the next week with research, we would grow the script, get together with Mel, then tear it apart and put it back together. This went on for almost two years. HDD: How close was the reality of the "Pueblito" (the Mexican prison) that you wrote to the actual "Pueblito" itself? Adrian Grunberg: It's exactly the way that the real Pueblito was. El Pueblito was closed down in 2002 (SPOILER ALERT) in the same way that it is closed down in the movie (END SPOLER). The authorities came in at two in the morning because it was the only way to close this place down. Now, that was in 2002 and the real Pueblito was even worse than the one in the movie. I had trouble about what not to put in the movie because the movie had to be under two hours. The movie is not about the prison, it just happens in the prison. Nowadays you won't find a prison exactly like that one, but that kind of prison does still exist in much of Mexico. HDD: And you shot the whole movie down in Mexico, right? Adrian Grunberg: Yes, all of it was shot there. It was 12-week shoot. HDD: The way it appears on screen, it looks like there was blistering heat. Was it that hot? Adrian Grunberg: Yes. We shot during the hot months, during the summer months, in Vera Cruz. We shot 'Apocalypto' there as well, so it was a comfortable place for Mel as well because it's a fantastic place. It's a cool town and the people are great. It was amazing, very enjoyable. HDD: When shooting a film like this - one filled with violence, torture, rape, language – how do you, as a director, tackle the shoot with such a young actor like Kevin Hernandez? Adrian Grunberg: Umm … shooting with kids is always difficult, but Kevin – as you might have guessed from talking with him (see my interview with Kevin Hernandez from last week) – he's very mature and he's a very cool kid. He's from El Salvador, but he lives in L.A., so he had never been to Mexico, this was his first big role, so he was really excited. We got along great and he came down there with his parents. He understood right away that it was role that he was playing. He had trouble at first because he doesn't swear, he doesn't speak that way – he would say, "I don't talk this way." And we would say, "I know, but you're acting." And he got that, he got it right away. He was fantastic and he did an amazing job. HDD: When casting a young actor like this, what sort of things do you take into consideration? Adrian Grunberg: We knew that the movie's success was largely due to whoever that role was being played by. "The Kid" would make or break this movie. It's such a powerful role and it's so easy to fuck it up, especially because you're dealing with a kid, so I did extensive [cast] testing in Mexico and couldn't find anyone. And it just so happened that he was recommended to me by a casting director who had just seen him for another casting job and I was really luck to get Kevin. I was struggling in finding somebody that could pull this off. HDD: I had seen Kevin in 'The Sitter,' but didn't know that he could dramatically act until 'Get the Gringo.' Adrian Grunberg: By the way, he shot 'Get the Gringo' before 'The Sitter.' HDD: That's what he was telling me. I thought it was great to see this kid acting on the same level as Mel while Mel was going back to a classic sort of Mel Gibson role – kind of like a 'Payback' role. Are you guys working on anything else right now? Adrian Grunberg: Not together. Mel is working on a couple of things that he wants to direct. I'm reading scripts and writing with my partner, Stacy, deciding what the next movie is. If something comes up in the future, I'd be happy to work with Mel. I love the guy. But right now we don't have anything planned together. HDD: I've got to tell you before I go – while watching the movie with my wife last night, we both agree that the best line in the movie is in the intro with Dean Norris, whom I love from 'Breaking Bad,' drops the quick clown line. If I wasn't paying attention, it would have flown right over my head. And this movie is filled with witty dialog like that. Adrian Grunberg: (laughs) I think there's a few of those, lines that I particularly still laugh at when I hear them because they happen so fast. They are little things within the scene that get missed by people on the first watch. I agree. HDD: Mel's voice-over was filled with them. Adrian Grunberg: I agree. HDD: Adrian, thanks for talking with me today. I was afraid that we weren't going to be able to fit this call in, but it worked and I'm glad that it did. Adrian Grunberg: Excellent.Posted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 01:55 PM PDT by: -
'I, Robot - 3D' Pre-Orders Live![teaser]Pre-orders are now available for the 2004 Will Smith sci-fi epic coming to Blu-ray 3D in October. [/teaser] As previously reported, 20th Century Fox is working on 'I, Robot - 3D' for Blu-ray 3D on October 23. In the year 2035, technology and robots are a trusted part of everyday life. But that trust is broken when a scientist is found dead and a skeptical detective (Smith) believes that a robot is responsible. Bridget Moynahan co-stars in this high-tech action film loosely based on the short stories by Isaac Asimov. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but the suggested list price for the Blu-ray 3D release is $39.99. You can find the latest specs for 'I, Robot - 3D' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 23.Posted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 12:30 PM PDT by: -
'Jeepers Creepers' Dated for Blu-ray[teaser]Teenagers will learn the hard way to mind their own business when the horror shocker hits Blu-ray this September! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, MGM will release 'Jeepers Creepers' on September 11. On a desolate country highway, two homeward-bound teens (Gina Philips, 'Living Out Loud,' and Justin Long, 'Live Free or Die Hard') are nearly run off the road by a maniac in a beat-up truck...and later spot the driver shoving what appears to be a body down a sewer pipe.But when they stop to investigate, they discover that the grisly reality at the bottom of that pipe is far worse than they could have ever suspected...and that they are now the targets of an evil far more unspeakable - and unstoppable - than they could have ever imagined! Specs and supplements haven't been confirmed yet, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $16.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Jeepers Creepers' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under September 11.Posted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Comcast Will Introduce 305Mbps Internet Speeds over Verizon FiOS Lines[teaser]This puts Comcast on top of Verizon in terms of speed, but not by much. [/teaser] Ahh, the blazing fast speed of FiOS. While most folks are stuck with sub-20Mbps internet speeds, FiOS customers are able to get themselves a ridiculously fast connection. Verizon's top tier package puts you at an impressive 300Mbps. Comcast, which is using the same fiber optic lines as Verizon, is upping that speed ever so slightly. Comcast's new tier comes in at 305Mbps – a difference you won't even notice, but that technically means they can say "faster than Verizon." There's no word yet on the rollout date. Source: EngadgetPosted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
'Re-Animator' Dated for Blu-ray![teaser]Stuart Gordon's 1985 cult classic is finally coming to Blu-ray in September! [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Image Entertainment has slated 'Re-Animator' for Blu-ray on September 4. Herbert West has a very good head on his shoulders...and another one in a dish on his desk! Deep within the morgue at Miskatonic University, arrogant madman West (Jeffrey Combs) introduces fellow graduate student Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott) to his startling formula for the re-animation of fresh corpses. But the secret of life and death has some very messy consequences. Get ready to re-experience one of the most outrageously inventive horror films of all time, the over-the-top classic that The New York Times hails as "ingenious...it has as much originality as it has gore, and that's really saying something!" Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $17.97. You can find the latest specs for 'Re-Animator' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's now indexed under September 4.Posted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
LG's Ultra High-Definition TV Goes on Sale in Korea This Year[teaser]It's coming in at 25 million won, or around $22,000 USD. [/teaser] The folks at LG have one very impressive set on the way. It's a TV that boasts a higher resolution than most gear can handle - 3,840 x 2,160. That means a potentially superior picture, assuming the source material is there. Of course, 84" of UHD goodness means more than just future-proofing for 4K. It means that you'll enjoy a 1080p resolution when using passive 3D glasses. That's something of a selling point to be sure, though active 3D glasses on UHD TVs will undoubtedly give you full resolution. Sure, the new set may be $22,000 and only launching in Korea, but it gives you a reason to have a receiver with 4K upscaling built in. Source: EngadgetPosted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
DirecTV and Viacom Reach Agreement – Pulled Channels are Back on the Air[teaser]The new agreement gives Viacom a bit more money and makes Epix an option, but not required. [/teaser] The battle between DirecTV and Viacom is finally over, which is certainly to the delight of DirecTV subscribers and those that watch Viacom's shows online. Channels have been returned, free online status has been restored and everything is – for now – back to normal. Judging by a report from Bloomberg, rates increased, but not by the 30% that was initially demanded. DirecTV will be paying 20% more for the channels, with Epix remaining an option for customers, instead of a requirement. Source: Multichannel NewsPosted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
Vote in Our 'Dark Knight Rises' PollDid you see 'The Dark Knight Rises' this weekend? Was it everything you hoped for, or a big disappointment? Hop over to the blog today to vote in our poll. Be sure to also tell us whether you saw the movie in an IMAX theater or a regular theater.Posted Mon Jul 23, 2012 at 06:15 AM PDT by:
