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High-Def Digest Interviews Brian Koppelman and David LevienDrew Taylor Interviews Brian Koppelman and David Levien [teaser] Last week 'Solitary Man,' a charmingly salty-sweet drama, starring Michael Douglas as a disgraced car salesman who looks to rebuild his life despite an uncanny knack for self-destruction, hit Blu-ray.[/teaser] The movie has a novelistic feel, dense with character development and emotion (the deck is stacked heavily, thanks to a wondrous supporting cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito, Jesse Eisenberg, and star-in-the-making Imogen Poots) and features Michael Douglas' best performance in – no joke - years (Speaking of which, where is the 'Wonder Boys' Blu-ray?!!). Released early this past summer, it was a welcome change-of-pace from the nonstop onslaught of movies like 'The A-Team' and 'Knight and Day,' if only in the fact that people actually talked to each other in 'Solitary Man' instead of just screaming loudly while running away from fireballs. I got to talk to the co-directors of 'Solitary Man,' David Levien and Brian Koppelman, who have an impressive resume of wonderful for-hire screenplays (they penned 'Ocean's Thirteen' and 'The Girlfriend Experience' for Steven Soderbergh) as well as writing and directing 'Knockaround Guys' and producing 'The Illusionist' and 'The Lucky Ones' for director Neil Burger. The filmmaking team, who began with the selling of their first screenplay for John Dahl's poker thriller 'Rounders,' are also incredibly nice guys. Read on for their thoughts on 'Solitary Man,' Steven Soderbergh, and what's next for these two! DT How did you guys get together as a creative team? DL We've been like brothers since we were 14 or 15 years old. We met on a student teen tour when we were kids. Growing up we were always watching the same movies and talking about movies incessantly, and we sort of went down different paths at different times but about 12 years ago we decided in earnest to write a script together. And that script turned into 'Rounders.' DT In terms of 'Solitary Man' what drew you to it as a directing vehicle as opposed to something that you would sell to somebody else? BK That's a really good question. We never had a conversation about anybody else directing this one. Somehow, our fascination with the world in which it takes place and a character like Ben made us not want to try and do it in a different way or want to be at arms length from it. We wanted to be intimately involved in telling the story. And I think that, from the writing of it, that's what was intended. DT Was this a deliberate attempt to do something that wasn't genre-related? BK We never had a conversation where we said "Well, the next thing we direct shouldn't be in a genre." It was more that the story occurred to me to write, and I guess you could take a character like Ben and put him in a context of more typically genre, like a crime context, but instead I wanted to treat it as it was. And put him in a context that was realistic and straight and funny also. And when I showed it to David, we immediately started talking about making the movie. And it immediately became clear we were going to tell it as clearly as we could. DT Was this something that you wrote outside of the partnership and then later the two of you decided to co-direct it? BK David and I are a filmmaking team and there was never a question that we were going to direct it together. It was just that I had started writing the first 20 pages and brought them to Dave and he read them and said "You should just finish it yourself, because you have the tone and the voice." DL It just seemed very clear to me that I wanted to see it without my imprint in there. DT It seems to me that one of the great assets of the movie is that it seems to deliberately sidestep some of the clichés that are inherent with this kind of material. Were there things that you guys avoided when putting it together? BK That's very nice of you to say. It took me four years to write it and one of the reasons why was I was determined to let it unfold in a way that felt organic and real. And Dave has pointed out to me that sometimes when you have a time deadline, that's when it's easy to reach for the stuff that's familiar. You're not even intending to, but it's like what first occurs or when you're trying to manipulate the story or characters you might fall into that trap. But instead, we were trying to the truth of the moments. And so hopefully that helped us avoid those traps. DT You guys are buddies with Soderbergh, you wrote 'Ocean's Thirteen' and 'The Girlfriend Experience' for him and he produced this. How is he as a producer as opposed to a director DL Soderbergh is a great collaborator, no matter what capacity anybody is in. When he's directing and you're writing for him, it's a great experience, when we were directing and he was producing, it was great. And we also had Paul Schiff working with us. These guys were great. They were all about making the movie better and using all of their experience and knowledge in the business to help us maximize our resources. DT One thing that struck me was the uniformity of excellence in the cast. Everyone, even the smallest role, was so wonderfully cast. Was it just that people read the script and responded to it? DL It started with Sodbergerh. And I would say that there's this great word in the Paul Schrader-written movie 'City Hall,' where someone is referred to as "mensch-type." And Soderbergh is really "mensch-type." He gave the script to Michael Douglas and then Paul Schiff and Steven were able to take the script to various other actors. And everybody seemed to respond to the script and to the chance to work with Michael. DT Can you talk about the differences between directing your own stuff than producing for someone to direct? Is there ever a time when you're heartbroken to give one of your scripts away? DL We don't have the horror stories that you hear from some writers, where they write this perfect script and a director comes along and ruins it. So for the most part we've been part of the process and haven't felt shut out and feel relatively good to the way the movie comes out in comparison to the script. Some of the stories seem slightly more personal like something you want to spend the other year and a half completing and taking it all the way to finished film. I wouldn't say it's a reaction to any horrible experience, it was just a natural decision. DT So you're working on the adaptation of Josh Bazell's 'Beat the Reaper,' which was one of my favorite books of last year… BK We love that book man! DT So how is that coming along? DL That's set up at Regency and Leonardo DiCaprio is attached right now. It's hard to talk about movies that are being put together. Sometimes they happen and sometimes they don't. BK We took it so seriously because we loved the book. And boy, do we want to see that movie! DT I wanted to ask you guys about John Dahl, since he directed your first screenplay. DL John was great. He really gave us our education as filmmakers. None of us went to film school. So being on the set of 'Rounders' was film school. He gave us total access. We were involved in bringing him into the movie. We were always interested in working with him. And we were involved in getting him the script and having the first meeting with him to get him on board. And because of the complicated nature of hold 'em, back then, it wasn't on TV and people didn't know the game like they do now, we were sort of the resident experts, so we had some utility. So John let us work with the actors and gave us a taste of the whole filmmaking concept, which inspired us to direct our first movie next, which was 'Knockaround Guys.' DT Alright guys I think that's it. Thank you so much for your time! Really loved the movie! BK Thanks for your interest and for seeing the movie. Oh, and anything that either one of us said that was a little bit sketchy, please attribute to Dave.Posted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 01:30 PM PDT by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: 'Resident Evil: The High-Definition Trilogy' Blu-ray $25 at Amazon[teaser]Amazon's deal this week is sponsored by the Umbrella Corporation. [/teaser] The online retailer is now selling 'Resident Evil: The High-Definition Trilogy' starring Milla Jovovich for $25 (58% off suggested price). The release includes 'Resident Evil,' 'Resident Evil: Apocalypse,' and 'Resident Evil: Extinction.' Click here to bring home some zombie high-definition action for a great price, and this offer is in effect from now through September 18.Posted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 12:40 PM PDT by: -
'The Universe: The Complete Season Five' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]The fifth season of the acclaimed History Channel documentary series is planned for Blu-ray release in January.[/teaser] A&E will be bringing 'The Universe: The Complete Season Five' to Blu-ray on January 25. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but it is likely the set will feature 1080i video and an LPCM 2.0 soundtrack like past releases. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray set is $39.95. You can find the latest specs for 'The Universe: The Complete Season Five' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under January 25.Posted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 12:00 PM PDT by: -
Panasonic Adds Netflix to Viera Cast[teaser]Only Viera Cast enabled TVs and Blu-ray players from 2010 on will get the feature.[/teaser] Other companies have been on top of this for quite some time now, but it looks like Panasonic has finally jumped on the Netflix wagon. All of Panasonics Viera Cast enabled televisions and Blu-ray players made in 2010 are now able to access Netflix. "The addition of Netflix to our 2010 VIERA CAST offerings now gives consumers access to the leading online movie subscription service," says Panasonic VP Merwan Mereby. "The features now available on VIERA CAST provide consumers with access to a wide range of the leading entertainment and interactive sites which allow them to enjoy high definition movies and connect directly with family and friends right from their HDTV in the comfort of their own living room." The update should be live now on all VT20, VT25, G25 and G20 televisions as well as the BDT100, BDT300, BDT350, BD65, BD75 and BD70V Blu-ray players. The portable B500 is also included, which is a nice bit of extra functionality for a portable player. Source: PanasonicPosted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
'And Soon the Darkness (2010)' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]Another horror remake is due on Blu at the end of December. [/teaser] In an announcement to retailers, Starz/Anchor Bay has just announced 'And Soon the Darkness (2010)' starring Amber Heard, Odette Yustman, and Karl Urban is coming to Blu-ray on December 28. The film is a remake of the 1970s British thriller of the same name and is directed by Marcos Efron. Specs and supplements have yet to be revealed, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.99. You can find the latest specs for 'And Soon the Darkness (2010)' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they are indexed under December 28.Posted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
Motorola Intros A Few Slick New Remotes[teaser] One uses super capacitors, the other has a handy QWERTY board on one side, and a normal one on the other. [/teaser] Remotes aren't usually something to get excited about, but the new gear rolling out from Motorola is definitely worth mentioning. If you're a cable subscriber, you've probably got a Motorola box and a Motorola remote, which makes the company's new offerings particularly significant. The NYXboard is a QWERTY remote that's designed to work well with both traditional television viewing habits and web based services. On one side, it's a full QWERTY remote, and on the other it’s a standard TV remote. Sensors inside the remote will detect which side is up and activate those buttons accordingly. NYXgreen is more high tech, and a bit less likely to end up coming with your cable box. Thanks to the inclusion of super capacitors the NYXgreen remote excels in battery life. Give it a USB port and 60 seconds to charge and the remote will last a full week. The NYXboard seems like a likely inclusion with set-top boxes in the future, but the NYXgreen will be geared towards hotels. Next up for Motorola, apparently, is a remote that runs on an algae battery – no kidding. Source: Sys-ConPosted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 09:00 AM PDT by: -
'Slings and Arrows: The Complete Collection' Blu-ray Dated & Detailed[teaser]All three seasons of the award-winning Canadian series will bring the drama to Blu-ray this October. [/teaser] Acorn Media has just announced 'Slings and Arrows: The Complete Collection' for Blu-ray on October 26. The show stars Paul Gross ('Due South'), Don McKellar ('Childstar'), Martha Burns ('Screening'), and Mark McKinney ('The Kids in the Hall') with season-long guest stars Rachel McAdams ('The Notebook') in Season 1, Colm Feore ('Chicago') in Season 2, and indie sensation Sarah Polley ('The Sweet Hereafter') and renowned Stratford Festival actor William Hutt in one of his last performances in Season 3. 'Slings & Arrows' aired in the U.S. on the Sundance Channel and has won numerous awards (Canadian Comedy Award, Directors Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Canada, and 13 Gemini Awards). The series is created and written by Susan Coyne, Mark McKinney, and Bob Martin. The Blu-ray release will feature 1080p video (Season 1 is upconverted), a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements include: Behind-the-scenes featurette, cast-and-crew interviews, bloopers, deleted and extended scenes, photo galleries, production notes, song lyrics, trailers, and three exclusive episode commentaries (Season 1/Episode 1 commentary with Bob Martin, Mark McKinney, and Susan Coyne; Season 2/Episode 6 commentary with Graham Harley and Michael Polley; and Season 3/Episode 6 commentary with Paul Gross and Martha Burns and director Peter Wellington). Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $79.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Slings and Arrows: The Complete Collection' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 26.Posted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 08:00 AM PDT by: -
Silverlight Partners With SRS for 5.1 Surround Sound[teaser]Surround sound on Netflix is looking very promising. [/teaser] The folks over at Netflix promised us 5.1 channel surround sound this fall, and it's looking like they're going to be right on target thanks to a joint effort by SRS Labs and Microsoft. "We’re thrilled to expand this collaboration with Microsoft to now bring surround sound capability to Silverlight and its millions of users," says Allen Gharapetian of SRS Labs. "With the availability of SRS 5.1 surround for Silverlight, the collective online multimedia experience will become more vivid and immersive." Streaming surround sound doesn't take up too much in the way of bandwidth either. Companies can push our multichannel surround sound over bit rates as low as 96kbps. You shouldn't have much trouble with getting surround sound on top of your current HD picture. There's no word on when surround sound will be added to Netflix, but there are plenty of other applications for Silverlight that should be adding it soon. You can even check out a demo from SRS Labs on their official site. Source: SRS LabsPosted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 07:00 AM PDT by: -
'Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]An Agatha Christie mystery will be pulling into high-definition this October. [/teaser] Acorn Media has just revealed 'Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express' for Blu-ray on October 26. This sumptuous new adaptation of Christie’s most famous and acclaimed novel features fan-favorite David Suchet as Hercule Poirot – the Belgian sleuth of unsurpassed deductive powers and peerless viewer appeal– as he searches for a killer on a snowbound train. 'Poirot' has aired on ITV1 in the U.K. since 1989 and on PBS and A&E in the U.S. 'Murder on the Orient Express' debuted in July 2010 on PBS’s 'Masterpiece Mystery!' The Blu-ray release will feature 1080p video, audio is still unconfirmed, and the release will include: David Suchet on the Orient Express: Suchet hosts a tour of the Orient Express and recounts its history (47 min.); 120 years with Agatha Christie; list of Poirot books; and cast filmographies. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $29.99. You can find the latest specs for 'Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under October 26.Posted Mon Sep 13, 2010 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
'Spider-Man' & 'Spider-Man 2' Announced for Blu-ray[teaser]Your friendly neighborhood web slinger will be swinging to high-definition in November.[/teaser] Sony is preparing Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man' and 'Spider-Man 2' for standalone Blu-ray releases on November 16. Previously, the films were only available as part of the 'Spider-Man Trilogy' box set. The Blu-rays will feature 1080p video, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, and no supplements have been revealed so far. Suggested list price for each Blu-ray is $24.95 apiece. You can find the latest specs for 'Spider-Man' and 'Spider-Man 2' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed under November 16.Posted Sun Sep 12, 2010 at 04:00 PM PDT by:
