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Caavo Unveils New Set-Top Box Designed to Unify Different Streaming Devices[teaser]The product hopes to unify your separate streaming components.[/teaser] Caavo has announced its upcoming set-top box. Designed to unify a customer's existing array of entertainment devices, the Caavo allows users to plug separate streaming, cable, satellite, and gaming products into one simple box for centralized access and control. The Caavo set-top box offers support for up to eight different components. Once plugged in, the Caavo can then automatically switch between the separate devices and provide organized and searchable access to all of their local and cloud content through the Caavo's own interface -- offering an easy and convenient experience through just one system, one screen, and one remote. In addition, the Caavo includes 4K support and the company is working to offer an HDR10 update. With that said, there are no plans to implement Dolby Vision tech. Here's a full rundown of features per Caavo: - Auto Detect: Plug in whatever device – AppleTV, Roku, FireTV, cable and satellite and gaming – into any port and Caavo configures it.- Unified Control: Use our simple remote to control it all – pay TV, streaming and gaming (plus, your game controllers and old remotes will still work too).- On-Command TV: Speak into the Caavo remote, and your TV turns on, finds what you want to watch and plays from wherever you left off.- Universal Search: Search once for a show or movie and find it across all your content, including pay TV.- Universal Watchlists: See everything you've recently watched, organized onto one screen sorted by service.- Total access: Find all your favorite apps and services together in one place. Everything from iTunes to Netflix to Amazon Prime is there, side-by-side. Pre-orders for the Caavo unifying set-top box are set to launch in May for $399. Shipments are expected to go out later this year. Sources: Caavo, EngadgetPosted Fri Feb 17, 2017 at 08:15 AM PST by: -
Derek Yee's 'Sword Master' Heading for Blu-ray[teaser]The action-packed wuxia tale is planned for Blu-ray in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Well Go USA says 'Sword Master' will arrive on Blu-ray on April 11. In this beautifully shot wuxia epic, a powerful swordsman is haunted by the destructive impact his deadly talents have on others. Weary of the bloodshed and violence from the martial arts world, he banishes himself to the humble life a vagrant, wandering the fringes of society. But his violent past refuses to let him go quietly. The master swordsman must regain the ability to wield his sword and fight those disrupting the peace he so desperately craves. Director Derek Yee joins forces with producer Tsui Hark to bring this classic story of a master swordsman to life. With a mixture of complex emotions and unconventional characters, Tsui and Yee believe their collaboration has created a Sword Master that will both entertain and intrigue. Specs have yet to be revealed, but supplements include: Mastering the Sword. You can find the latest specs for 'Sword Master' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 11.Posted Fri Feb 17, 2017 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
'Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams' Heads to Amazon Prime Video[teaser]The upcoming anthology series will stream through Amazon in the US.[/teaser] According to a report from Variety, Amazon has snagged the US rights to 'Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.' The sci-fi anthology show comes from Sony Pictures Television, producer Bryan Cranston ('Sneaky Pete), and Ronald D. Moore ('Outander,' 'Battlestar Galactica'). 'Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams' will be a 10-episode anthology series featuring adaptations of sci-fi author Philip K. Dick's works. The writer's short stories and novels have previously inspired films and TV shows like 'Blade Runner,' 'Minority Report,' 'Total Recall,' 'A Scanner Darkly,' and the Amazon original series 'The Man in the High Castle.' Screenwriters set to contribute to the show include Dee Rees ('Bessie'), Tony Grisoni ('Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'), Jack Thorne ('Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'), Matthew Graham ('Life on Mars'), David Farr ('The Night Manager'), Travis Beacham ('Pacific Rim'), Ron Moore ('Outlander'), and Michael Dinner ('Justified'). In addition, producer Bryan Cranston is also set to star in at least one of the series' episodes. An exact premiere date has not been announced yet, but 'Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams' will stream through Prime Video in the US. Meanwhile, the show will be broadcast through Channel 4 in the UK. Other upcoming Amazon premieres include 'Patriot' on February 24, 'Annedroids' season four on March 4, and 'Hand of God' season two on March 10. Likewise, the company recently announced new season renewals for 'Mozart in the Jungle,' 'Red Oaks,' 'Sneaky Pete,' and 'The Man in the High Castle.' A current Amazon Prime subscription costs $99 per year or $11 per month. Likewise, Prime Instant Video is available as a standalone service for $9 per month. Source: VarietyPosted Fri Feb 17, 2017 at 07:15 AM PST by: -
Juan Luis Buñuel's 'Leonor' Blu-ray Bound[teaser]The 1975 vampire flick also known as 'Mistress of the Devil' will rise to Blu-ray this spring. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Scorpion Releasing is working on 'Leonor' for Blu-ray later this year. A female vampire rises from her crypt every night in search of children as her victims. Cinematography by Luciano Tovoli (Dario Argento's Suspiria). Soundtrack by the legendary Italian maestro Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in America). No other details have been revealed at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'Leonor' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under PENDING.Posted Fri Feb 17, 2017 at 06:00 AM PST by: -
Criterion's May 2017 Blu-ray Titles Announced[teaser]The distributor has revealed its upcoming slate of May releases, including Terry Zwigoff's 'Ghost World' and Orson Welles' 'Othello.'[/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Criterion is preparing 'Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles,' 'Othello,' 'Good Morning,' 'Dheepan,' 'Ghost World,' and 'Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project No. 2' for Blu-ray throughout the month of May. 'Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles' (May 9) - A singular work in film history, Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles meticulously details, with a sense of impending doom, the daily routine of a middle-aged widow (Delphine Seyrig)—whose chores include making the beds, cooking dinner for her son, and turning the occasional trick. In its enormous spareness, Akerman’s film seems simple, but it encompasses an entire world. Whether seen as an exacting character study or one of cinema’s most hypnotic and complete depictions of space and time, Jeanne Dielman is an astonishing, compelling movie experiment, one that has been analyzed and argued over for decades. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed French mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: - Autour de “Jeanne Dielman,” a 69-minute documentary—shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnes Ravez and director Chantal Akerman—made during the filming of Jeanne Dielman- Interviews from 2009 with Akerman and Mangolte- Excerpt from “Chantal Akerman par Chantal Akerman,” a 1997 episode of the French television program Cinéma de notre temps- Interview from 2007 with Akerman’s mother, Natalia- Excerpt from a 1976 television interview featuring Akerman and actor Delphine Seyrig- Saute ma ville (1968), Akerman’s first film, with an introduction by the director- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Ivone Margulies Order the Blu-ray 'Othello' (May 16) - Gloriously cinematic despite being made on a tiny budget, Orson Welles’s Othello is a testament to the filmmaker’s stubborn willingness to pursue his vision to the ends of the earth. Unmatched in his passionate identification with Shakespeare’s imagination, Welles brings his inventive visual approach to this enduring tragedy of jealousy, bigotry, and rage, and also gives a towering performance as the Moor of Venice, alongside Suzanne Cloutier as his innocent wife, Desdemona, and Micheál MacLiammóir as the scheming Iago. Shot over the course of three years in Morocco, Venice, Tuscany, and Rome and plagued by many logistical problems, this fiercely independent film joins Macbeth and Chimes at Midnight in making the case for Welles as the cinema’s most audacious interpreter of the Bard. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed English mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: - Audio commentary featuring filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and Orson Welles scholar Myron Meisel- Return to Glennascaul, a 1953 short film made by MacLiammóir and actor Hilton Edwards during a hiatus from shooting Othello- New interview with Welles biographer Simon Callow- New interview with Welles scholar François Thomas on the differences between the two versions- New interview with Ayanna Thompson, author of Passing Strange: Shakespeare, Race, and Contemporary America- Interview from 2014 with Welles scholar Joseph McBride- More!- PLUS: An essay by film critic Geoffrey O’Brien Order the Blu-ray 'Good Morning' (May 16) - A lighthearted take on director Yasujiro Ozu’s perennial theme of the challenges of intergenerational relationships, Good Morning (Ohayo) tells the story of two young boys who stop speaking as an act of resistance after their parents refuse to buy a television set. Ozu weaves a wealth of subtle gags through a family portrait as rich as those of his dramatic films, mocking the foibles of the adult world through the eyes of his childish protagonists. Shot in stunning Technicolor and set in a suburb of Tokyo where housewives gossip about the neighbors’ new washing machine and unemployed men look for work as door-to-door salesmen, this charming comedy reworks Ozu’s own silent classic I Was Born, But . . . to gently satirize consumerism in postwar Japan. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an uncompressed Japanese mono soundtrack, and supplements will include: - I Was Born, But . . ., Yasujiro Ozu’s 1932 silent comedy masterpiece, with a score composed by Donald Sosin in 2008- Surviving excerpt from A Straightforward Boy, a 1929 silent film by Ozu- New video essay on Ozu’s use of humor by critic David Cairns- New interview with film scholar David Bordwell- PLUS: An essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum Order the Blu-ray 'Dheepan' (May 23) - With this Palme d’Or–winning drama, which deftly combines seemingly disparate genres, French filmmaker Jacques Audiard cemented his status as one of the titans of contemporary world cinema. In an arresting performance, the nonprofessional actor Antonythasan Jesuthasan (himself a former child soldier) stars as a Tamil fighter who, along with a woman and child posing as his wife and daughter, flees war-torn Sri Lanka only to land in a Paris suburb riddled with drugs. As the makeshift family embarks on a new life, Dheepan settles into an intimate social-realist mode, before tightening, gradually and organically, into a dynamic turf-war thriller, as well as an unsettling study of the psychological aftereffects of combat. Searing and sensitive, Audiard’s film is a unique depiction of the refugee experience as a continuous crisis of identity. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English/French/Tamil DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: - Audio commentary from 2015 featuring director Jacques Audiard and coscreenwriter Noé Debré- New interview with Audiard- New interview with actor Antonythasan Jesuthasan- Deleted scenes with audio commentary by Audiard and Debré- Trailer- PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Atkinson Order the Blu-ray 'Ghost World' (May 30) - Terry Zwigoff’s first fiction film, adapted from a cult-classic comic by Daniel Clowes, is an idiosyncratic portrait of adolescent alienation that’s at once bleakly comic and wholly endearing. Set during the malaise-filled months following high-school graduation, Ghost World follows the proud misfit Enid (Thora Birch), who confronts an uncertain future amid the cultural wasteland of consumerist suburbia. As her cynicism becomes too much to bear even for her best friend, Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), Enid finds herself drawn to an unlikely kindred spirit: a sad-sack record collector many years her senior (Steve Buscemi). With its parade of oddball characters, quotable, Oscar-nominated script, and eclectic soundtrack of vintage obscurities, Ghost World is one of the twenty-first century’s most fiercely beloved comedies. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: - Audio commentary featuring Zwigoff, comic-book creator and screenwriter Daniel Clowes, and producer Lianne Halfon- New interviews with and actors Thora Birch and Illeana Douglas- Extended excerpt from Gumnaam (1965) featuring the Bollywood musical number that appears in Ghost World’s opening title sequence- Deleted scenes- Trailer- More!- PLUS: An essay by critic Howard Hampton Order the Blu-ray 'Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project No. 2' (May 30) - Established by Martin Scorsese in 2007, the Film Foundation's World Cinema Project has maintained a passionate commitment to preserving and presenting masterpieces from around the globe, with a growing roster of more than two dozen restorations that have introduced moviegoers to often-overlooked areas of cinema history. This collector's set gathers six important works, from the Philippines (Insiang), Thailand (Mysterious Object at Noon), Soviet Kazakhstan (Revenge), Brazil (Limite), Turkey (Law of the Border), and Taiwan (Taipei Story). Each title is an essential contribution to the art form and a window onto a filmmaking tradition that international audiences previously had limited opportunities to experience. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, uncompressed mono soundtracks, and supplements will include: - Remastered digital soundtrack of Limite created almost entirely from archival recordings of the same musical performances director Mário Peixote and his musical arranger Brutus Pedreira originally selected to accompany the film, presented in uncompressed monaural sound on the Blu-ray- New introductions to the films by World Cinema Project founder Martin Scorsese- New interview programs featuring film historian Pierre Rissient (on Insiang), director Apichatpong Weerasethakul (on Mysterious Object at Noon), director Ermek Shinarbaev (on - Revenge), filmmaker Walter Salles (on Limite), producer Mevlüt Akkaya (on Law of the Border), and actor and cowriter Hou Hsiao-hsien with filmmaker Edmond Wong (on Taipei Story)- PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by Phillip Lopate, Dennis Lim, Kent Jones, Fábio Andrade, Bilge Ebiri, and Andrew Chan Order the Blu-ray Suggested list price for each single disc Blu-ray is $39.95. Suggested list price for the 9-Disc 'Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project No. 2' boxset is $124.95. You can find the latest specs for all of the titles listed above linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where they're indexed throughout May.Posted Thu Feb 16, 2017 at 12:30 PM PST by: -
DirecTV Now Adds STARZ Streaming Option for $8 per Month[teaser]The premium network's content is now available as an add-on through DirecTV Now.[/teaser] AT&T has announced the addition of STARZ and STARZ ENCORE services to the DIRECTV Now streaming platform. The add-on plan is available for $8 per month, and includes access to more than 2,500 episodes and movies. "With today's launch on DIRECTV NOW, Starz is continuing to extend the reach of its flagship STARZ products in the marketplace. The DIRECTV NOW offering is a terrific service for our collection of STARZ Originals and quality feature film programming, which has proven to be very successful for the unmatched quality at an affordable price point," said Jeffrey Hirsch, Chief Operating Officer at Starz. "With DIRECTV NOW, AT&T is opening up barriers to entry that prevented a wide swath of audience from accessing our groundbreaking slate of originals and we are thrilled to work with them." DirecTV Now is a stand-alone streaming platform that provides access to a variety of live channels and on-demand content through several programming packages starting at $35 per month. The $8 per month STARZ add-on service includes access to original series like 'Outlander,' 'Power,' and the upcoming premiere of 'American Gods,' as well as popular movies like 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens.' And in addition to on-demand content, live STARZ, STARZ ENCORE, and STARZ KIDS & FAMILY channels are also launching on DIRECTV Now. Likewise, the streaming platform offers all eight STARZ ENCORE premium channels and access to on-demand titles as part of its $70 per month "Gotta Have It" package as well. "With the addition of STARZ, we're continuing to broaden the appeal of DIRECTV NOW, creating an unmatched entertainment experience," said Dan York, chief content officer for AT&T. Source: STARZPosted Thu Feb 16, 2017 at 10:15 AM PST by: -
Irvin V. Willat's 'Behind the Door' Blu-ray Announced[teaser]The 1919 silent film will be getting the Blu-ray treatment in April. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Flicker Alley is prepping 'Behind the Door' for Blu-ray on April 4. Legendary producer Thomas H. Ince and director Irvin V. Willat made this---"the most outspoken of all the vengeance films" according to film historian Kevin Brownlow---during the period of World War I-inspired American patriotism. Hobart Bosworth stars as Oscar Krug, a working-class American, who is persecuted for his German ancestry after war is declared. Driven by patriotism, Krug enlists and goes to sea. However, tragedy strikes when his wife (Jane Novak) sneaks aboard his ship and is captured following a German U-boat attack. Krug's single-minded quest for vengeance against the sadistic German submarine commander (played with villainous fervor by Wallace Beery) leads to the film's shocking and brutal climax. This newly restored edition represents the most complete version of the film available since 1919, thanks to the collaboration of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, the Library of Congress, and Gosfilmofond of Russia. Sourced from the only two known remaining prints and referencing a copy of Willat's original continuity script, this edition recreates the original color tinting scheme and features a new score composed and performed by Stephen Horne. Flicker Alley is honored to present Behind the Door on Blu-ray (and DVD) for the first time ever. The combo pack will include: Russian version of Behind the Door: The re-edited and re-titled version of the film that was distributed in Russia, with musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne; Outtakes from Behind the Door: Featuring music composed and performed by Stephen Horne; "Restoring Irvin Willat's Behind the Door": A behind-the-scenes look at the restoration; "Kevin Brownlow Spotlights Irvin Willat": Film historian and Honorary Academy Award® winner Kevin Brownlow spotlights director Irvin Willat; Slideshow gallery of stills and promotional material from Behind the Door; and a Souvenir Booklet: Featuring rare photographs and essays by film historian Jay Weissburg, film restorer Robert Byrne, and composer Stephen Horne. You can find the latest specs for 'Behind the Door' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 4.Posted Thu Feb 16, 2017 at 10:00 AM PST by: -
Charles B. Pierce's 'The Evictors' Headed for Blu-ray[teaser]The 1979 horror film comes to high-definition this summer. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, Scream Factory says 'The Evictors' will be available on Blu-ray later this year. Shortly after moving into a cute farmhouse in a quaint Louisiana town, Ben (Michael Parks) and his wife, Ruth (Jessica Harper), experience strange and disturbing events and soon come to the frightening realization that someone or something wants them dead. Filmed in a pseudo-documentary style, this horror film co-stars Vic Morrow as a creepy real estate agent who neglects to inform the young couple about the property's violent history. NEW HD MASTER. No other details have been revealed at this time. You can find the latest specs for 'The Evictors' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under PENDING.Posted Thu Feb 16, 2017 at 08:00 AM PST by: -
Netflix Debuts Trailer for 'Sandy Wexler' Starring Adam Sandler[teaser]A full trailer for the latest Adam Sandler Netflix comedy has been released.[/teaser] Following an initial teaser, Netflix has revealed an official trailer for its newest original film, 'Sandy Wexler.' The movie stars Adam Sandler and will be the third title released as part of a four picture deal between Netflix and Happy Madison Productions. The film follows Sandy Wexler (Adam Sandler), a talent manager working in Los Angeles in the 1990s, who diligently represents a group of eccentric clients on the fringes of show business. His single-minded devotion is put to the test when he falls in love with his newest client, Courtney Clarke (Academy Award® and Grammy® winner Jennifer Hudson), a tremendously talented singer who he discovers at an amusement park. The Netflix original film also stars Kevin James (True Memoirs of An International Assassin), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Beastmaster), Lamorne Morris (New Girl), Nick Swardson (The Do-Over), Rob Schneider, Jane Seymour, Carl Weathers and Arsenio Hall. The film is directed by Steve Brill (The Do-Over). Paul Sado, Dan Bulla and Adam Sandler wrote the script. Happy Madison Productions’ Adam Sandler and Allen Covert serve as producers. Barry Bernardi and Tim Herlihy serve as executive producers. Check out the trailer below! 'Sandy Wexler' will start streaming through Netflix on April 14. The film will join the previously released 'Ridiculous 6' and 'The Do-Over,' which were also part of the same four picture deal between Netflix and Happy Madison. Other upcoming Netflix premieres include 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore' on February 24, a new Amy Schumer comedy special on March 7, 'Love' season two on March 10, 'Iron Fist' on March 17, 'Grace and Frankie' season three on March 24, 'The Discovery' on March 31, '13 Reasons Why' on March 31, 'Girlboss' on April 21, 'Bill Nye Saves the World' on April 21, 'Dear White People' on April 28, 'Casting JonBenet' on April 28, 'Anne' on May 12, 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' season three on May 19, 'House of Cards' season five on May 30, 'Orange is the New Black' season five on June 9, and 'Stranger Things' season two on October 31. A current Netflix subscription starts at $10 for HD streaming and $12 for Ultra HD streaming. Source: NetflixPosted Thu Feb 16, 2017 at 07:30 AM PST by: -
Edwin Brown's 'China Girl' Blu-ray Bonus Features Detailed[teaser]The bonus features for the 1975 X-rated film getting the Blu-ray treatment in March have now been detailed. [/teaser] As previously reported, Vinegar Syndrome is working on 'China Girl' for Blu-ray sometime in March. The incredible Annette Haven stars as renowned biochemist, Teresa Hardgrave. Assigned to work with top government agent, David Chase (Tom Douglass), to infiltrate a sinister organization determined to rule the world through sexual dominance, Teresa soon finds herself kidnapped and held in in the clutches of evil mastermind, Madame Woo and her vicious boss, Y.C. Chan (James Hong) who doses her with 'love serum' and forces her to undergo a series of excruciating erotic punishments. Will David be able to save her before the serum drives her to the brink of sexual insanity? Written and produced by Edwin and Summer Brown (A THOUSAND AND ONE EROTIC NIGHTS), and directed by Paul Aratow (DOCTOR DRACULA), CHINA GIRL is a slickly made, well acted and searingly erotic caper classic, taking nods from kung fu films to 60s spy thrillers. A critical success and blockbuster upon its original release, Vinegar Syndrome presents this drive-in movie inspired hit newly restored in 2k from its original camera negative! The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack will feature a transfer that was scanned and restored in 2k from the 16mm original camera negative and supplements include: Extensive Audio Interview with Actress Annette Haven, Reversible Cover Artwork, and the Original Theatrical Trailer. You can find the latest specs for 'China Girl' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under PENDING.Posted Thu Feb 16, 2017 at 06:00 AM PST by:
